Brasilia Airport inaugurates new USD536m South Pier

Brazil's Brasilia International Airport inaugurated (16-Apr-2014) its expanded terminal with its new BRL1.2 billion (USD536 million) South Pier which features ten new aerobridges, a 1500sqm VIP lounge and new commercial concessions. Construction took 480 days and boosts airport capacity from 16 to 21 million passengers p/a. The new 12,000sqm pier increases check-in counters from 72 to 94, and will reportedly result in only 3% of passengers having to be bussed to their aircraft, according to Valor. Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff highlighted the project as an exemplar of the effectiveness of the Government's airport privatisation programme, noting the quality and speed with which the project was completed. The works are 93% complete at the moment and expected to be completely finished by 24-May-2014, when the North Pier will also reportedly be complete, adding a further eight boarding gates and 15,000sqm of space (G1, 16-Apr-2014). [more - original PR - Portuguese]