Page 20 - ASUTIL 2024 Edition

INSIDER

Brazilian deluge damages duty free on the border

The catastrophic flooding in Porto
Alegre at the beginning of May has been
one of the biggest natural disasters to hit
southern Brazil in many years. With 170
people dead and 70 people still missing,
further heavy rain at the end of the month
hampered clean-up operations and local
authorities say that there is no clear end
in sight. More than 600,000 people are
temporarily homeless and the water levels
remain stubbornly high.
Porto Alegre’s Salgado Filho
International Airport has been closed for a
month and there is still no reopening date.
In a normal year, 8 million passengers
would use Brazil’s 9th biggest airport.
A temporary airport has been opened at
Canoas Air Force base to provide facilities
for cargo and temporary passenger
services.
The Brazilian government and
Fraport, the holders of the airport restore the airport infrastructure. Weekend excursions from many towns
management concession, have just started The rains in the Rio Grande do Sul, in the state are of prime importance for
the first inspections to assess damage. The Brazil’s fourth largest state, may have a shop operators on both sides of the border.
passenger terminal has been damaged but negative effect on the country’s GDP with Brazilian shoppers from Rio Grande do
it is unclear how the runways and taxiways agricultural production severely affected. Sul are the biggest distinct group in the six
and the airport navigation equipment However, there will be major investment Uruguayan towns where duty free shopping
have coped with the deluge and excessive in the state infrastructure which may is allowed. Reports from Rivera and Rio
rainwater. Ensuring that the airport is counterbalance this. Branco indicated to Travel Markets Insider
in operational condition will require a With no clear indication of when water that excursion numbers were devastated in
substantial investment. The government has levels will return to normal, the effect of May, and it is hard to predict when border
already said it will look at extending the the floods on the border duty free business towns will see a normal flow of shoppers.
management concession to allow Fraport to in Uruguay and Brazil is hard to calculate. JG

The massive flooding in Porto Alegre in May caused extensive damage to the Salgado Filho International Airport, which will require a substantial
investment in repairs. Photos courtesy of airport operator Fraport.

ASUTIL Special Issue June 2024 20