After awarding 22 airports in 2021, Brazil’s government will auction 16 more in 2022

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The concession contracts will be effective for 30 years and the minimum initial bid totals R$897.7 million. According to the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), in 2019, the 16 terminals together accounted for 39.2 million take-offs and landings and 26% of passengers who bought airline tickets in the Brazilian market.

Just as occurred in the last two rounds, the auction will be divided into blocks. The same proponent can bid for more than one block.

The airports were grouped as follows:

RJ/MG BLOCK

Santos Dumont Airport (RJ)
Jacarepaguá Airport (RJ)
César Bombonato Airport – Uberlândia (MG)
Mário Ribeiro Airport – Montes Claros (MG)
Mário de Almeida Franco Airport – Uberaba (MG)

NORTH BLOCK II

International Airport of Belém (PA)
Alberto Alcolumbre International Airport – Macapá (AP)

SP/MS/PA BLOCK

Congonhas Airport – São Paulo (SP)
Campo de Marte Airport – São Paulo (SP)
Campo Grande Airport – Campo Grande (MS)
Corumbá Airport – Corumbá (MS)
Ponta Porã Airport – Ponta Porã (MS)
Maestro Wilson Fonseca Airport – Santarém (PA)
João Corrêa da Rocha Airport – Marabá (PA)
Carajás airport – Parauapebas (PA)
Altamira Airport – Altamira (PA)

Minister of Infrastructure Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas expects high competition in the bids. “The expectation for this auction is the best possible. The Rio-São Paulo air bridge is the world’s 4th busiest route,” he said in a statement released by the Ministry.

Between October and November, the Minister visited the United States, Europe and the Middle East to present the Brazilian infrastructure projects portfolio to foreign investors. “It was certainly one of the most talked about auctions abroad. We had many meetings with infrastructure operators focused on the discussion of the 7th round [of airport concessions],” he said.

Last year, 22 airports were auctioned in the 6th round of concessions, which generated a total of R$3.3 billion in grants to the federal government and guaranteed R$6.6 billion in private investments over the next 30 years. According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, 94,037 jobs should be generated with the concessions.

The equipment was auctioned grouped into three blocks:

Winner: CCR
Award: R$2.1 billion
Expected investment: R$2.85 billion

Afonso Pena International Airport – São José dos Pinhais (PR)
Cataratas International Airport – Foz do Iguaçu (PR)
Ministro Victor Konder International Airport – Navegantes (SC)
Governador José Richa Airport – Londrina (PR)
Lauro Carneiro de Loyola Airport – Joinville (SC)
Bacacheri Airport – Curitiba (PR)
João Simões Lopes Neto International Airport – Pelotas (RS)
Rubem Berta International Airport – Uruguaiana (RS)
Comandante Gustavo Kraemer International Airport – Bagé (RS)

CENTRAL BLOCK

Winner: CCR
Award: R$754 million
Expected investments: R$1.8 billion

Santa Genoveva Airport – Goiânia (GO)
Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport – São Luís (MA)
Senador Petrônio Portella Airport – Teresina (PI)
Brigadeiro Lysias Rodrigues Airport – Palmas (TO)
Senador Nilo Coelho Airport – Petrolina (PE)
Prefeito Renato Moreira Airport – Imperatriz (MA)

NORTH BLOCK

Winner: Vinci Airports
Award: R$420 million
Expected investment: R$1.47 billion

Eduardo Gomes International Airport – Manaus (AM)
Governador Jorge Teixeira de Oliveira International Airport – Porto Velho (RO)
Plácido de Castro Airport – Rio Branco (AC)
Atlas Brasil Cantanhede International Airport – Boa Vista (RR)
Cruzeiro do Sul International Airport (AC)
Tabatinga International Airport (AM)
Tefé Airport (AM)

Also foreseen for 2022 are the re-bidding of the airports of Viracopos in Campinas (SP), and Natal located in São Gonçalo do Amarante (RN). Both had already been granted to the private sector, but their contracts were terminated.

In the case of Viracopos Airport, the concessionaire Aeroportos Brasil Viracopos (ABV), which managed the structure since 2012, returned the asset in July 2020 after entering into judicial reorganization. The new concession, currently in the public consultation phase, foresees investments of R$4.25 billion over 30 years. The amount should include the construction of a second runway and the expansion of the aircraft yard, boarding piers and passenger terminal.

The re-bidding of the contract to expand, maintain, and operate the Potiguar international airport should raise another R$308.93 million. The equipment, located in the metropolitan region of Natal was the first in the country granted by Infraero to the private sector, in an auction held in 2011.

The contract signed with Argentine concessionaire Inframérica was to run for 28 years, but was unilaterally terminated by the company in 2020 due to a lower than expected number of users.

With the procedure cleared by the Federal Audit Court (TCU), the auction is expected to take place in the first half of 2022.

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