VZCZCXRO6057
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #1026 2311012
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191012Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4873
INFO RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 8094
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 4425
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 9834

UNCLAS BRASILIA 001026 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EEB/TRA, WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR BR
SUBJECT: CIVAIR BRAZIL:  USAIRWAYS APPLICATION FOR FREQUENCIES 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
REF: STATE 80732 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On August 14, Brazil's National Civil Aviation 
Agency (ANAC) confirmed that the August 11 ANAC Board of Directors' 
meeting granted US Airways legal approval to work in Brazil.  This 
approval allows for US Airways to begin contracting personnel, 
registering the company and acquiring office space at Rio's Galeao 
airport in preparation for its inaugural flight between Charlotte 
and Rio in December 2009.  However, the Board did not approve US 
Airways' operations permit.  According to Ricardo Catanant, ANAC's 
head of commercial licensing, ANAC has no record of US Airways' 
Security Plan, its Airworthiness Certificate, nor has US Airways 
submitted to ANAC their fare schedules for the new route.  These 
documents are required before ANAC's Board of Directors votes on 
approving US Airways' operations permit.  Catanant suggested that 
either US Airways or its legal counsel in Brazil contact him 
directly at 5561-3366-9427, or his assistant Leonardo Miranda at 
5561-3366-9504, to review this issue with them.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) ANAC Director Marcelo Guaranys confirmed the outcome of 
the Board of Directors' vote, and explained that the issuance of 
permits for new carriers operating in Brazil involves two separate 
votes, the first being commercial, and the second operational. 
Guaranys was told US Airways believed it had submitted required 
documentation three weeks previous, but he confirmed the required 
operational documents were not on file at the time of the vote.  In 
addressing US Airways' request for temporary permission to begin 
selling tickets for peak season travel in December while it waits on 
permit approval, Guaranys stated that Brazilian civil aviation 
regulations do not allow for airlines to sell tickets "pending 
government approval."  Guaranys suggested US Airways talk directly 
to Catanant and Miranda to clarify the status of the application. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) ANAC's Catanant and Miranda confirmed that ANAC still had 
no records of US Airways' Security Plan, its Airworthiness 
Certificate, nor US Airways' proposed fare schedules for the new 
route, during an August 17, 2009 phone conversation with Econoff. 
Miranda advised that once all required documents are received and 
approved, the subject would come up for vote at ANAC's weekly Board 
of Directors' meeting and US Airways should receive the second 
license about two weeks later.  Upon license receipt, it would be 
possible for US Airways to ask authorization for scheduled flights. 
Catanant suggested that US Airways or its legal counsel contact him 
or Miranda via phone or at Catanant's email address, 
ricardo.catanant@anac.gov.br, to obtain more information about the 
process or answer any questions. 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Comment:  Post recommends US Airways contact ANAC's 
Catanant or Miranda to clarify US Airways' application status.  Post 
stands ready to assist should US Airways have additional questions. 
End Comment. 
 
 
KUBISKE