Brazil Civil Aviation: Liberalization/Privatization Update

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRASILIA 001621 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR EINV ECON BR SUBJECT: Brazil Civil Aviation: Liberalization/Privatization Update SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED REF: A) BRASILIA 0169, B) BRASILIA 1160 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Brazil is currently considering Brazilian civil aviation liberalization/privatization legislation that the government hopes would result in greater direct foreign investment, domestic market liberalization, transference of air traffic functions from military to civilian control, and the creation of a customer's bill of rights. ANAC and BNDES are charged with delivering to President Lula the regulatory framework model proposing to privatize management of airport facilities through concessions by April 9, 2009, at which time Lula will make a decision on whether to pursue system-wide privatization or ad hoc privatization of individual airports. A potential model that grants concessions by grouping profitable airports with non-profitable ones may significantly reduce investor interest, while another potential model that would offer concessions on individual airports could leave GOB responsible for running unprofitable airports the private sector does not want. Brazil's Civil Aviation Regulator (ANAC) President Solange Paiva Vieira recently predicted in a meeting with U.S. Ambassador Sobel that there was insufficient time and political will to affect privatization changes before the conclusion of the Lula administration in 2010. Vieira offered concrete proposals in the areas of market liberalization to shape the agenda for the next U.S./Brazil bilateral discussions, including frequency liberalization on a specific city/city pairing basis, liberalization of the cargo carrier sector, and mutual recognition of the certification of aircraft parts and maintenance. Vieira also underlined that the GOB would need the United States to provide, as the EU has done, a report that examined the economic effects of an Open Skies agreement on the Brazilian civil airline industry as a precursor to starting Open Skies talks with Brazil. End summary. PROPOSED LEGISLATION -------------- ¶2. (U) At a November 9 public hearing on the proposed legislation attended by Econoff, co-chaired by Senate legislative consultant Victor Carvalho Pinto; Dr. Respcio do Esprito Santo Jr., president of the Brazilian Air Transportation Institute of Strategic Studies and Public Policy; and Senator Delcdio Amaral, primary sponsor of the legislation that created ANAC in 2005, revisions to the Brazilian civil aviation code were advocated that would allow for the sector to keep pace with growth, enhance operational efficiencies, address safety concerns and provide greater customer service. Pinto, the author of the study, proposed repealing the cap of 20% foreign ownership/investment in Brazilian airlines as well as opening the domestic market to unrestricted foreign carrier participation. While admitting that the latter is highly unlikely, Pinto commented that the industry needs to embrace free enterprise in order to achieve greater operational efficiencies. ¶3. (U) Pinto's operational model called for the privatization of all airports, each with its own business plan. The study claimed that by privatizing all Brazilian airports and not just the profitable ones, the less desirable inefficient airports would have to improve to attract needed investment capital. Pinto offered as acceptable options either private management or municipal management of the airports with no federal oversight in day to day business activities. The study proposed that airport slots should be the property of the airlines to be sold initially to the carriers by the airports via auction and then traded freely among the carriers, a significant departure from the complex system that ANAC currently uses to allocate slots to carriers. The model calls for carriers to bid on newly announced international routes and to abolish the international boarding fees currently collected (which the study claims are unconstitutional). Pinto suggested that INFRAERO, the Brazilian federal agency charged with managing airport infrastructure, should be converted to a private entity that continues to manage airports under a privatization model, given INFRAERO's wealth of assets and airport operational experience. ¶4. (U) Referencing the aviation service meltdowns of 2007, including late flights and cancellations, Pinto advocated greater accountability on the part of the air carriers through the adoption of a passenger bill of rights. This proposal would establish a sliding scale of compensation levels for passengers whose flights were overbooked, delayed, or cancelled. Passengers would be compensated depending on severity of the problem and the original purchase price of the ticket. Pinto argued that the traveling public's Brazilian airport experience, (which the study characterizes as "uncomfortable and tedious") would improve through increased operational efficiencies resulting from privatization, such as fewer extended layovers and more aesthetically pleasing passenger facilities. ¶5. (U) Addressing the controversial measure of transferring air traffic control (ATC) responsibilities from military to civilian BRASILIA 00001621 002 OF 003 control, Ponto and Amaral advocated a cautious approach. Both recognized the challenges, from how to logistically divide shared military/civilian-use facilities and assets between two ATC groups to questions of national security and sovereignty. The study proposed a methodical transfer beginning with the introduction of the ATC management system known as CNS-ATM. Ponto argued that this would provide a natural transition for the new management and allow time for the Ministry of Defense to reassign its officers. Amaral cited the concern that ATC was a contributing factor in the 2006 mid-air collision involving a GOL 737 and an executive jet as a reason to prioritize CNS-ATM implementation and transference to civilian control. ¶6. (U) Dr. Espirito referenced the recent announcement by Rio de Janeiro's Governor Sergio Cabral that both President Lula and Minister of Defense Nelson Jobim had accepted the idea of privatizing Galeco airport in Rio and Campinas airport in Sao Paulo as an opportunity to extend the privatization model to the entire industry, not just the profitable ones. Espirito cited INFRAERO concerns that by privatizing only profitable, large airports, the smaller, unprofitable ones would suffer because they would no longer receive the profits of others to cover their shortfalls (REFTEL B). Dr. Espirito proposed that privatization of the entire airport system would be more effective in raising needed investment capital (something particularly important for less profitable airports), would be more responsive to the local community's socioeconomic needs, and private entities would more effectively manage the various governmental operators within the airport, such as the Ministry of Defense, Agriculture, Federal Police, and Customs. VIEW FROM ANAC -------------- ¶7. (SBU) During a meeting with Ambassador Sobel, ANAC president Vieira acknowledged that airport privatization is inevitable, but questioned whether it will occur during the Lula administration. She explained that ANAC and BNDES were charged with delivering to President Lula the regulatory framework model under a market privatization scenario by April 9, 2009, at which time Lula will make a decision on whether to pursue airport privatization system-wide or on an ad hoc airport-by-airport basis. Brazil's national development bank, BNDES would then be responsible for managing the concession process. Vieira pointed out that the Brazilian constitution does not allow for private ownership of Brazilian airports, adding that the concession process would allow for private management of airports on a long term lease basis. Vieira noted implementing any privatization decision would be complex and would require careful management of interagency equities. Vieira indicated she personally favored concentrating on liberalizing routes and pricing, and questioned if there was sufficient political will to finalize the debate and begin implementation of airport privatization before presidential elections in 2010. ¶8. (SBU) Vieira expressed interest in discussing the agenda for the next aviation bilateral meeting. Topics of interest included frequency liberalization on a specific city/city pairing basis, liberalization of the cargo carrier sector, and mutual recognition of the certification of aircraft parts and maintenance. In mentioning Brazil's current Open Skies negotiations with the EU, Vieira confirmed that the agreement will have an aircraft parts/maintenance mutual recognition provision, but she did not provide any additional details on the talks or when the negotiations are expected to be concluded. Vieira added that the EU submitted to ANAC an economic impact report that examined the economic effects of an Open Skies agreement on the Brazilian civil airline industry as a precursor to starting Open Skies talks with Brazil. Vieira underlined the U.S. would need to provide a similar study if Open Skies were pursued. Vieira added that ANAC had recently approved full pricing liberalization for international flights. The phase in of this over the course of 2009 will involve 20% of the international flights by January, 40% by April, 80% by August, and be complete by the end of the year. Although Solange did not mention which routes/destinations would be liberalized first, she did predict that by 2010, liberalized frequencies between the U.S. and Brazil could be a reality. MEANWHILE, AT INFRAERO -------------- ¶9. (SBU) In response to a BNDES proposed restructuring of INFRAERO that was recently revealed in the Brazilian newspaper Valor on December 2, INFRAERO president Srgio Gaudenzi announced his resignation on December 3, providing as his reason his disagreement with the proposed airport privatization model and insisting that INFRAERO should instead become parastatal organization with publicly traded shares offered through an initial public offering. The article reported that his resignation was accepted by Jobim and that BRASILIA 00001621 003 OF 003 Jobim had formally offered the position to Guilherme Lagger, a former executive at Brazilian mining company Vale and beverage giant AmBev. The BNDES report also recommended the dismissal of INFRAERO's 4 directors, its 28 superintendents, the airport administrators in 68 airports that INFRAERO manages and the logistics and baggage handling units. AIRPORT CONCESSION SEMINAR -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Airport concession models were the topic of discussion during the ANAC-sponsored Airport Concession Seminar held in Rio de Janeiro December 11-12. The message from the Minister of Defense Nelson Jobim, along with ANAC President Vieira, ANAC Director Marcelo Guaranys, and Director of Civil Aviation Policy of the Secretary for Civil Aviation Fernando Soares, emphasized the concession model's three goals of enhancing Brazilian civil aviation efficiencies, fostering competition and raising sufficient capital to finance needed infrastructure projects under the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC). Jobim emphasized the need for the model to be flexible in adapting to the real needs of Brazil's fast growing aviation sector and applauded ANAC for considering other countries' models before deciding on Brazil's. Vieira stressed that the model must promote domestic airport competition in order to increase airport operational efficiencies. She also underscored the developmental and implementation phases of the concession process must be transparent. In touching on some of the specifics of the model, Guaranys mentioned that the model must take into account the non-profitable airports. Guaranys proposed to group performing and non-performing airports into bundled concessions to require potential investors to take on unprofitable assets and cross-subsidize their shortfalls from the profits of the performing airport. The model, similar to the Mexican model, would address this vexing issue, in his view. (COMMENT: The proposal to bundle non-profitable airports into concessions for profitable airports may discourage investors, particularly since Brazilian law requires the airports to remain in operation (as opposed to, for example, UK privatization which permitted airports to be re-zoned for housing or other commercial purposes) END COMMENT). Guaranys suggested that an individual airport concession model approach, similar to the Chilean model, could foster greater efficiencies at profitable airports, but possibly at the expense of leaving underperforming airports behind. Soares underscored the model's goal of raising needed capital through BNDES loans. Soares acknowledged PAC funding shortfalls and suggested that the concession bidding process should encourage foreign participation (NOTE: BNDES funding requires the participation of Brazilian firms and inputs). ¶11. (SBU) Comment: Privatization of the Brazilian civil aviation sector continues to face many obstacles, from GOB military concerns relating to airport asset sharing with civilian organizations to the difficulty in crafting a concession model that would achieve GOB operational priorities and also be attractive to private sector investors. However, consensus is building that inaction is not an option, especially given that Brazil hosts the World Cup in 2012 and Rio is bidding to host the 2016 Olympics. The departure of the anti-privatization head of INFRAERO and the recent airport concessions seminar suggests momentum toward privatization is building. ANAC, SAC and BNDES will play key roles in this debate. The GOB is committed to maintaining the functionality of its sixty-eight commercially operating airports and required constitutionally to own them; a potential model that grants concessions by grouping profitable airports with non-profitable ones may significantly reduce investor interest. The individual concession model approach is also fraught with downsides from the government perspective, as GOB would potentially be left to run unprofitable airports the private sector does not want. Given these challenges, ANAC seems more focused in the short-term on creating the conditions for market liberalization of pricing and routes, underscored by a President Vieira's comment to Ambassador Sobel: "privatization only equates to change in airport management, whereas market reform equates to progress." End Comment SOBEL