Jets Fill Brazilian Skies

The month-long FIFA World Cup 2014 which got underway on June 12 with a bang is witnessing hectic activity in the skies – business jets flying across Brazil. Leonardo Fiuza, Director of the Brazilian company TAM Executive Aviation, estimated that between 700 and 1,000 executive jets would be flying during the period, ferrying rich fans, politicians, royal families and the like. While Dubai-based United Aviation Services (UAS), which books charter flights with over 500 private jet operators globally, has put the figure at 3,000 business aircraft of all hues filling the Brazilian skies before, during and after the tournament. Privately chartered airliners make up less than five per cent of that estimate. Eduardo Marson, President of the Brazilian Association for General Aviation, said the UAS estimate may be on the high end of possible scenarios, but he agreed air traffic outside of commercial airlines would outpace any prior event in Brazil.

Officials estimate that the World Cup will draw about 6,00,000 international visitors, spending nearly $3 billion. Of that, there will be good numbers using business aircraft. From the Amazon basin in the North to the banks of the River Guaiba in the South, 12 stadiums across Brazil are each well-served by private jet airports. Many of these are smaller airports than those used by airlines, allowing shorter ground transfers to the games.

Early Kickstart by Private Operators

Among the early birds to secure landing and parking was Paramount Business Jets. The Virginia-based firm said it got the slots it wanted for nearly 20 of the World Cup charters it has booked so far. But many private-jet customers aren’t booking beyond the first round unless they know that their teams have advanced, making planning tough.

Lider Executive Aviation, a leading Latin American company, which has 15 aircraft, has said that aircraft utilisation will be extremely high as it is present in 19 airports, including in the 12 host cities. Lider has an agreement with American NetJets, one of the largest private jet rental companies in the world, to capitalise on the demand. Junia Hermont, Director of Lider, has been quoted as saying that the company was looking at a huge pie of the opportunity that the World Cup was providing. “We want to win 80 per cent of the demand for services generated by those planes coming from outside,” said Hermont. TAM also expects a significant increase in demand for airport services and aircraft maintenance.

Geared for the Event

Brazil has really geared up for the event despite the protests on the money spent. In fact, during the 2013 LABACE, doubts were expressed whether the country would have enough airstrips ready to handle the sudden gusts of traffic, but Brazil has proven everyone wrong. “In big cities we’re seeing major problems. In Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro there’s almost a blockade of executive aviation services,” the Civil Aviation Minister Wellington Moreira Franco had told the media much before the event started. “Soon that story should be different,” promised Franco, highlighting a handful of private initiatives to build new airports around Rio and São Paulo, Brazil’s two biggest cities. “Brazilians are last-minute sprinters. It is part of our culture,” said Marson.

Brazil whose fleet of private aircraft is second only to that of the United States, has opened military airstrips and hangars in order to accommodate the jets.

Embraer in Action

Embraer Executive Jets has developed an integrated and comprehensive customer support plan. Throughout the event, Embraer’s support and services are being expanded to be present in host cities. “Our goal is to ensure presence and assistance for our Brazilian and international customers to enjoy the World Cup with peace of mind regarding aircraft availability,” said Edson Carlos Mallaco, Vice President, Customer Support and Services, Embraer Executive Jets.

Embraer has strategically placed field service representatives and are counting on the support of the authorised service centres, backed by a Contact Centre, which already operates round the clock at its headquarters in Sao Jose dos Campos.

At Bertram Luiz Leuploz Airport in Sorocaba, Embraer Executive Jets Service Centre, operated by Universal Aviation, is providing aircraft handling, hangar and FBO services for all business aircraft makes and models. In over two lakh square feet, Embraer offers MRO facility for its executive jets.

A fleet of over 160 Embraer executive jets operates in Brazil, backed by a strategically based national support network. In addition to both owned service centres in Sao Jose dos Campos and Sorocaba, four authorised service centres in Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Curitiba and Goiania offer swift and efficient support for customers across the country.

Bombardier Support

Bombardier is providing service out of its regional support office in São Paulo, where local support is coordinating in conjunction with Bombardier’s customer response centres. The company has put in place five field service representatives based at Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte. Bombardier has also deployed its customer response team (FAA and EASA capable) to provide onsite maintenance in Brazil.

Sky-high Prices

Brazilian private aviation firms have an edge when it comes to parking as many own their own slots at airports around the country. Líder’s Vaz said his company has about 40 jets to lease and prices are $5,400 per flight hour for an eight-passenger plane. His firm’s stable of aircraft include planes by Embraer, Learjet and Dassault. Private jet luxury doesn’t come cheap. Paramount quoted a round trip from Beijing to São Paulo on a Boeing business jet for $6,02,000. That aircraft boasts a shower, a bedroom, a conference room and the package includes two flight attendants and standard catering. Lobster and an onboard masseuse are extra.

Striking New Partnerships

Jet Aviation has partnered with Brazilian-based C-Fly Aviation to offer handling services and parking to business aviation aircraft at Galeão International Airport, the main airport serving 2014 FIFA World Cup traffic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – host city to the final match. Located North of the city of Rio de Janeiro and within 1.5 hours of six World Cup venues, Galeão is the only international airport in Brazil that has dedicated ramp space for business aircraft during the games. The airport has approximately 2,00,000 square feet of available ramp space and can accommodate all business jets up to and as large as the Boeing 737-800 and the Airbus A320.

Norbert Ehrich, Vice President and Managing Director, South East US, Central and South America, is leading a team of multilingual international aviation specialists to support C-Fly Aviation’s operations on-site at Galeão through the end of the games. The team of handling specialists has 65 years of combined experience to ensure a positive customer experience.

“We look forward to working with C-Fly to support traffic during the World Cup event,” said Ehrich. “We have significant experience in handling traffic for high level events such as the Olympics in London and Beijing. Our highest priority has always been to ensure our customers receive the best personalised service that they’ve come to expect with Jet Aviation.”

Oh yes, there are restrictions on flying time and air space as security during the World Cup is extremely tight. The Brazilian Government has put in a place a rigorous plan of operation for routes, landings, take-offs and parking slots at 90-odd airports. The Centro de Gerenciamento da Navegacao Aerea has issued the World Cup Practical Reference Guide that outlines information such as definitions of “exclusion zones” that will secure the airspace against terrorism or accidents during matches, airports that will require slots, and recommended airports to use for flight planning purposes. Primary airports for the 2014 World Cup will have some closures on match days during the tournaments, including one hour before a match and for three to four hours afterwards. These restrictions will be in place for all aircraft, regardless of who is on board. The game is such.