A country with such a proud aviation tradition as Brazil can cure the problems that have recently afflicted its air transport systems. Whether it recovers quickly, however, depends on decisions taken in the next year or so, and whether these set out to address the symptoms or the disease.
The disease is lack of investment in infrastructure, and the same ailment is seen in many other parts of the world. Its cause is that the airline sector of commercial air transport - which is overwhelmingly privately owned - is growing fast and continuously. But the infrastructure - the airports and air navigation service providers - are overwhelmingly state- or municipally owned public services, so money for development has to come from a combination of user charges and government-voted funds. But for governments, investment in airports and air navigation is way down the political priorities list compared with, say, education, health and crime. The result is that airports and air navigation service providers are treated like bad public roads: they aren't properly resurfaced, their potholes merely filled in, and then only after someone has fallen into one.
It was fine for governments to take part in the provision of commercial air transport when it was a small, developing industry. Now they should get out and assume the role they are supposed to play: regulators and safety overseers.
Source: Flight International
