Civil Aviation Council Requests Location Options For New Sao Paulo Airport

Days after Brazil's worst air disaster, the country's Civil Aviation Council (Conac) is finally taking some action. The agency announced new measures recently to reduce the amount of air traffic at the Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo.

As ANN has reported, a TAM Airbus A320 slid off the runway while landing at Congonhas-Sao Paulo Airport on July 17, then crossing a highway and striking a gas station and a second building. Nearly 200 people are believed to have perished.

CGH will now handle only direct flights and no longer operate as a stopover. The airport will also cease to handle charter flights, according to Xinhua News Service. The country's Civil Aviation National Agency, ANAC, will now have to negotiate with other countries to redistribute foreign flights.

ANAC has 60-days to carry out the changes and three months to present location options for a new Sao Paulo airport.

Experts are saying operations at the busiest airport in South America are not viable in its current location at the heart of the city and needs to be relocated

Conac also requested ANAC to increase the compensation to the families of those killed in last week's accident.

FMI: www.anac.gov.br