Great stuff FCZ interesting analysis. I can understand why brazilian Airline Company with low labour cost and high European prices doesn't want the good times to end. TAP enjoying it from their side of the atlantic too. If US carriers can get in then fine, but all these "old boys" like the system that controlled for years. They want price protection where there is no free competition and liberality, where there is..in other words, "their cake and eat it". The problem is open skies means better prices to SP and RIO as here is the traffic and high revenue business class tickets. Natal and its new airport, which is the whole debate does not have enough demand for high profit business travellers. Unless they can feed in from other domestic locations to make up cheap transatlantic flights there is no market. The new airport runway doesnt need to be any longer than standard 747 runway as otherwise how could the A380 land at heathrow without it being extended? The issue for the A380 is the gate height and handling such volume, not the actual runway. So really the A380 is a red herring as if you look at who has bought it it is North Atlantic and Far East....Emirates are the largets buyer of A380's so far. This equipment is no good for low traffic low yield routes which is what Natal is new or old airport....unless it becomes a feeder, but look at a map and from Europe if you want to feed Venezuela, Colombia etc why fly 2 hours further south to Natal? This leaves Arg/Chile/Para, not exactly high demand EU routes and anyway can be done thru RIO/SP where there is high revenue income. So, can anyone please explain to me how exactly this hub theory works in Natal? Only thing I can see is Gol or such like link in with EU carrier or Emirates and feed in from N/NE/Central Brasil. Cargo hub maybe, but unless I go in a cardboard box, doesn't help me get there cheaper. That leaves TAP and anyone who knows TAP will realise that the last of their concern is their passengers or free competition!
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