Congonhas Airport in São Paulo: concession may bring new services and shorter queues; see what may change

By André Catto

With Infraero’s signature, the concession process of Congonhas Airport in São Paulo now advances to the stages of implementation and transfer of the operation to the group Aena Desarrollo Internacional.

The Brazilian public company responsible for managing the airport was the last to sign the management handover to the Spanish company, which is now in charge of the terminal.

The National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) and Aena had already submitted their parts.

This step followed the auction held in August 2022, when the federal government awarded 15 airports – including Congonhas, the second busiest in the country and one of the last major terminals not yet managed by private operators.

In the auction, the Aena group was the only one interested in the airport in the south zone of São Paulo.

Besides the new bid, the group already operates in the Northeast of Brazil, in capital cities such as Maceió (AL) and Recife (PE), and manages the International Airport of Madrid.

The offer was R$2.45 billion, more than three times (231%) the minimum bid.

Besides Congonhas, the company will manage airports in Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, and Minas Gerais.

The concession is for 30 years, and the Spanish group will have to invest in improving the quality of operations.

After the signing, one of the processes is the “passing of the baton” so that the new company can start to operate fully.

There is no defined date for this new stage, but announcements can be made within 30 days after the signing is completed, according to experts heard by g1.

In a statement, the Spanish group said it should take over the administration of Congonhas in the third quarter of 2023.

IN PRACTICE, WHAT CHANGES WITH PRIVATIZATION?

The concession of the airports operated by Aena foresees investments of R$7.3 billion over three decades.

In the case of Congonhas, the main challenges are in the modernization and expansion of space.

In the short term, however, there should be no significant changes.

According to aviation law expert Felipe Bonsenso, the first actions should be more visual, with the consolidation of the concessionaire’s brand and identity in the airport’s common areas.

There should also be reforms related to passenger comfort: improvements in the counters, the lobby, the boarding lines, and the infrastructure of the buses that transport passengers to the aircraft.

“The offer of services at the airport, such as food and shops, should also be part of this first stage.”

“Today, Congonhas has many idle areas, which are abandoned.”

“Thus, the concessionaire must explore these areas again”, he explains.

With information from g1