Brazil: Brazilian Airspace Modification For FIFA Soccer World Cup

As FIFA´s Soccer World Cup approaches, Brazilian authorities adapt and prepare to receive the expected public for the event. One of the concerns regarding the event is the increase of air traffic to airports located on the vicinity of the arenas and protection on airspace surrounding the event.

Therefore, last May 1st. Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority ("ANAC") issued AIC 12/14, a specific aeronautical information circular ("AIC") with changes and/or temporary interruptions of certain rules and procedures within Brazilian airspace during the FIFA World Cup.

AIC 12/14 includes changes regarding: airports and their vocation; coordinated and monitored airports; flight plan presentation and approval; safety flight measures; and airspace restrictions.

• Airports and their Vocation: A list of airports and their suggested use (vocation) is available at ANAC´s website (www.anac.org.br) or at the Department of Airspace Control ("DECEA") guideline (www.decea.gov.br). The list contains a selection of airports and their use, based on airport facilities, their distance to host city, infrastructure in the vicinity of the airport, etc...

Those airports will have preferential use for specific type of aircrafts, i.e. VIP, International, Domestic and General. The list also includes alternate airports.

• Coordinated Airports: In order to manage the expected increase of air traffic, CGNA will coordinate chosen airports, according to its operation and infrastructure. Airport coordination consists in the establishing of predetermined time intervals ("SLOT") for landing and departing operations, avoiding that operational capacity is exceeded.

Airports coordination period will be from June 10th 2014 until July 15th, 2014. In order to require SLOT registration and get to know the relevant procedures for the period, please visit www.cgna.gov.br and click the SLOT link.

The following airports will be subject to the new rules during FIFA´s event: SBGL (Galeão Airport in Rio de Janeiro -RJ); SBRJ (Santos Dumont Airport in Rio de Janeiro - RJ); SBJR (Jacarepaguá Airport in Rio de Janeiro - RJ); SBGR (Guarulhos Airport in São Paulo-SP) ; SBSP (Congonhas Airport in São Paulo - SP); SBKP (Viracopos Airport in Campinas- SP); SBSJ (São José dos Campos Airport in São José dos Campos - SP) ;SBCF (Tancredo Neves Airport in Belo Horizonte - MG); SBBH (Pampulha Airport in Belo Horizonte - MG); SBBR (Pres. Juscelino Kubitschek Airport in Brasília - DF); SBGO (Santa Genoveva Airport in Goiania - GO); SBCY (Marechal Rondon Airport in Cuiabá - MT); SBCG (Campo Grande Airport in Campo Grande - MS); SBCT (Afonso Pena Airport in Curitiba -PR); SBBI (Bacacheri Airport in Curitiba - PR); SBFL (Hercílio Luz Airport in Florianópolis -SC); SBPA (Salgado Filho Airport in Porto Alegre -RS); SBSV (Dep. Luís Eduardo Magalhães Airport in Salvador - BA); SBRF (Guararapes Airport in Recife PE);SBNT (Augusto Severo Airport in Natal -RN); SBFZ (Pinto Martins Airport in Fortaleza- CE); SBSG (Rio Grande do Norte International Airport - São Gonçalo do Amarante - RN) ; SBEG (Eduardo Gomes Airport in Manaus- AM); SBMT (Campo de Marte Airport in São Paulo- SP); and SBJD (Jundiaí Airport in Jundiaí -SP)

• Airspace Defense: Airspace defense will be coordinated by the Brazilian Aerospatiale Defense Command ("COMDABRA"), that will be responsible for the airspace defense of the 12 host cities.

• Airspace Restrictions: For better air traffic services during FIFA´s World Cup, the Comando da Aeronáutica ("COMAER") created in different airspace portions different segregated areas as follows: Reserved Area (named "White Area"), Restricted (named "Yellow Area") or Prohibited (named "Red Area"), as explained below.

The clearance to enter the segregated airspace will depend on the nature and flight intentions.

The restrictions period of validity will be between 3 (three) hours before and 4 (four) hours after the start of the soccer match. by the opening and completion of the FIFA Soccer World Cup Brasil 2014; between 1 (one) hour before and 3 (three) hours after the start of the matches during the group phases; and 1 (one) hour before and 4 (four) hours after the start of the matches during the next phases, as well as all of the other expected restrictions. It is worth pointing out that the restrictions period of validity varies according to the game. This means that a same host city might have different timetables according to the matches it will host.

Outside of those periods, the airspace use is back to normality. Besides this explanatory insertion, all the periods will be predicted and activated by a specific AIC.

The segregated airspace is located in the Flight Information Region ("FIR") airspace inside the Terminal Control Areas ("TMA") of the host cities, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Cuiabá, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador e São Paulo.

Reserved Area - flights in the Reserved Area, named White, common to all host cities, all traffic must be known, follow the legislation rules and also the orientation of the Air Traffic Control ("ATC") facilities.

The aircraft will have to file a complete flight plan, and departure intentions from places without ATC facilities. All such plans will have to be coordinated previously with the Approach control ("APP") located in that TMA, being necessary the allocation of a transponder code A/C indicated by the ATC facility since before take-off up to landing and informing immediately to the ATC facility the transponder failure.

Restricted Area - Flights in the Restricted Area, named Yellow, common to all host cities, will be only allowed to duly authorized aircrafts, among them: aircraft related to the events; aircrafts carrying Heads of State or Government; national soccer team delegations, very important persons ("VIP"), commercial aircrafts of existing regular operations, new regular and non-regular with ANAC approval; and also the aircraft authorized by the competent authority.

The commercial aircraft of existing regular operation, new regular and non-regular with

ANAC approval that are performing arrival and departure procedures at TMA aerodromes are going to be authorized as long as they fulfill the safety ANAC requirements.

Flights that do not comply with these rules are going to be considered hostile and will be subject to the Airspace Policing Measures ("MPEA").

Prohibited Area - Flights in the Prohibited Area, named Red, common to all host cities, will be allowed only to aircrafts involved in the events, as long as they are previously authorized by the COMDABRA Commander. All flights that do not comply with applicable rules are going to be considered hostile and will be subject to the MPEA.

We point out that this Newsletter is only for information purposes and does not contain any legal analysis or opinion on the provisions and measures established by ANAC. If you are planning to fly inside Brazil Airspace or in case you need further clarifications or a more detailed analysis on any issue related to Brazilian Airspace operation during FIFA´s World Cup, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.