RIO DE JANEIRO, May 27 — The number of private jets operating in Brazil will nearly double during the World Cup, with more than 700 expected to arrive from overseas, the Valor business daily said yesterday.
Leonardo Fiuza, the head of TAM Business Aviation, told the newspaper Brazil was expecting more business executives, politicians, royalty and wealthy tourists to fly in on private jets than at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The 700 private jets that descended on South Africa caused chaos during the tournament when some of them clogged the tarmac at the main airport in Durban before the semi-final match between Spain and Germany.
Their pilots refused to move them, causing hundreds of fans to miss the match as commercial flights were delayed or forced to turn back.
The Brazilian government, seeking to avoid a repeat, has developed a strict operational plan for take-off, landing and parking at the country’s airports, said Valor. — AFP
