Minister of Ports and Airports Tomé Franca received on last Thursday (20) in Brasília the ambassador of Mexico to Brazil, Carlos García, accompanied by representatives of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR). The company's arrival in the Brazilian market represents the entry of a new international operator in the country's airport sector.
The meeting also included the participation of the president-director of the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac), Tiago Faierstein, and marked the company delegation's first official meeting with the minister.
ASUR is a Mexican airport group with international operations and presence in 16 airports in Mexico, Colombia and Puerto Rico. In Brazil, the company is in the process of transferring control of the Motiva airport platform, which comprises 17 airports in the country, in the states of Paraná, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Maranhão, Tocantins, Pernambuco and Piauí.
Tomé Franca highlighted the 15 years of the first airport concession carried out in the country and the importance of private participation in the development of the sector. "This month of August, we celebrate 15 years of the first airport concession contract signed in Brazil. Investing in airports in the country is good business, and we have worked to make this environment increasingly favorable, so as to attract new investors and expand investments in the sector," he stated.
Ambassador Carlos García stressed that the rapprochement between Brazil and Mexico in the airport sector should be seen as a long-term initiative. "This visit takes place at an important moment, for this is a long-term initiative. It is a state project, not just a government project, because it entails connection between different countries," he said.
International operations
In Mexico, ASUR operates nine airports, including Cancún International Airport, in addition to maintaining operations at six airports in Colombia and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The control transfer is subject to the rules provided for in the concession contracts and to the action of the competent agencies. In June, Anac's collegiate board unanimously approved prior consent for operations, after analysis of the applicable legal, technical and fiscal requirements. According to the agency, the transfer to ASUR does not compromise the continuity, regularity or quality of the conceded airport services.
Brazil–Mexico relations
The meeting also took place in the context of the expansion of relations between Brazil and Mexico in the air sector. The two countries maintain regular connections and, over the past year, 346 thousand passengers were handled, according to data from the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac).
Participating in the meeting from the ASUR group were CEO Adolfo Castro Rivas, first secretary Andrés Dario Galván, and ASUR Brasil representative José Martinez. Also present was the secretary of Civil Aviation, Daniel Longo
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