Northeast Brazil – US Update
30Nov2008 Filed under: Reese Witherspoon Author: admin
Itapua Beach in Salvador, Bahia, in Brazil’s Northeast. If their request pending before the US Department of Transportation is approved, which seems likely, then American Airlines will offer daily non-stop service to this city from Miami beginning this November.
A few days ago we wrote about the new routes that airlines have applied for with USDOT for service to Northern and Northeast Brazil, competing for the 21 newly available weekly frequencies. Since its application, Sprit has deferred its proposal for daily Manaus service until the next batch of frequencies become available in 2009.
Yesterday (July 29th), both American Airlines and Delta Airlines amended their proposals.
American’s revised application now proposes:
Miami-Salvador-Recife-Miami - Daily
Miami - Belo Horizonte (CNF) - 3x/week
Dropping one MIA-CNF frequency, AA is now requesting 10 frequencies from 11.
Delta’s revised application now proposes:
Atlanta-Manaus - Daily
Atlanta-Recife-Fortaleza-Atlanta - 4x/week
Withdrawing its Atlanta-Belo Horizonte (4x/week service), DL is now requesting 11 frequencies from 15.
It seems as though AA and DL may have discussed these changes, though as it appears so blatantly, it may well have been at DOT’s request. As AA and DL now are requesting 21 frequencies of 21 available, and with no other takers in line, American and Delta jointly filed a request that DOT immediately award the two airlines the routes and frequencies. Furthermore, and despite the routes each airline had already requested, the joint request states:
“Because this is not a contested matter requiring a comparative carrier-selection proceeding, American and Delta request that the frequency awards be non-city-pair specific (that is, from any point in the U.S. to any point in Brazil eligible for 2008 service…)” In other words, they are asking for non-city specific routes while also formally requesting specific routes in each of their individual applications. Not sure if the DOT will go for the free-for-all approach of non-specifc routes, as the agency is charged with promoting diverse and economically feasible air routes and services for the flying public.
Ultimately, it looks like AA and DL will be awarded the routes, most likely on the routes detailed above, particularly as there is no longer any competition between carriers. As proposed by AA and DL, American’s routes will begin Novermber 2nd, and Delta’s, around December 18-22.
deisinhabo
November 30th, 2008 at 4:11 am
What about Salvador - New York? Is there any airline aiming to fly from NY to Salvador?
Mark
November 30th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Unfortunately not at this time. There’s a strong population base in Florida of Brazilians from Minas Gerais and places in the Northeast, which is expected to support the new services through Miami. From New York, you’d have to connect in Atlanta or Miami–or by flying beyond the Northeast to connect in Sao Paulo, which I know isn’t very convenient.