The Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, participated, this Thursday (October 26), in Paraíba, in the delivery of works at Patos Regional Airport and signed a commitment agreement for interventions at Cabedelo Port. The schedule, held alongside Governor João Azevêdo, brought together initiatives aimed at expanding logistics infrastructure and strengthening connectivity in the state.
With an investment of R$ 40.6 million (R$ 26.8 million from the Federal Government and R$ 13.8 million in state counterpart funding), Patos Airport underwent extensive modernization, which included runway reconstruction, now measuring 1,375 meters in length; implementation of a new aircraft apron, construction of a 682 square-meter passenger terminal and installation of navigation equipment. The works expand operational capacity and reinforce the safety of air operations in the region.
Located in one of the main economic hubs of Paraíba's Sertão region, the municipality of Patos has an economy based on commerce, services and light industry, with potential for growth and job creation. The airport modernization is expected to boost tourism, business and regional logistics, directly benefiting 24 municipalities in the region.
Minister Silvio Costa Filho highlighted this strategic location of the new airport to boost tourism in Paraíba's sertão. "This is a very important day for all of us. Patos has over one hundred thousand inhabitants and is a strategic region of Paraíba. It made no sense for a city as fundamental as this one is to the growth of the sertão to lack an airport ready to receive people. Now it can welcome tourists from all over Brazil who will visit Paraíba's sertão. This is one of the regions growing the most today in the Northeast," he stated.
During the ceremony, Paraíba's Governor João Azevêdo also emphasized the importance of Patos having an airport. "By its geographic and economic importance, Patos received special attention and it is only natural that this should happen. It is important to understand that each region has a development hub, a service provision center. It was precisely based on the condition that Patos could lead the development of the entire sertão that we decided to truly invest here. A citizen living in a small city must be treated with the same dignity as a person living in the capital or in large cities in the state. That is the issue," he explained.
Chamber President Hugo Motta said the airport was chosen as a priority because it is fundamental to the development of Paraíba's sertão. "Here we have the realization of a 15-year dream of work by the sertanejo people that will benefit the population of three states - Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba itself, which now has one more airport to interconnect with the main centers of our country. It is a work that will attract job and income generation, as well as improvements in quality of life, because there is no way to have development without logistics," he stated.
According to the Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Feliciano, the airport is not just a work of concrete and navigation technology, "it means connectivity for this very important region that is Paraíba's sertão. Especially for Patos, which prepared itself to be able to receive a work of this magnitude and has already transformed itself into a hub for attracting business and tourism," he celebrated.
Cabedelo Port
Next, a commitment agreement was signed between the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Ports and Airports, and Companhia Docas da Paraíba (Docas-PB), with participation from the state government, to enable works at Cabedelo Port. The interventions include dredging of the access channel and expansion of the breakwater, with the aim of making ship maneuvers safer and more efficient, as well as reducing operational restrictions, such as berthing limitations at certain times and tidal conditions.
The dredging involves expanding the radius of the turning basin and widening the channel, with an estimated volume of approximately 976.5 thousand cubic meters, allowing the operation of larger vessels and reducing logistics costs from delays. The extension of the breakwater should increase channel stability and minimize silting, contributing to the durability of port infrastructure.
The planned investments total R$ 64.5 million for dredging and R$ 40.5 million for breakwater expansion, reinforcing the port's operational capacity and its importance for the flow of regional production.
