With Porto Alegre airport closed indefinitely, the metropolitan area had to improvise
In the corridors of Park ShoppingIn Canoes, the noise of conversations between visitors and shopkeepers acquired a different noise this Monday 27th. The noise of the wheels of suitcases dragged on the floor intended for walking, which mixed with the daily bustle of the place, was justified upon arrival at the shop. entrance B of the shopping center. The door that previously served as access to shops and restaurants has now been transformed, in an improvised and temporary way, into a departure lounge.
From the beginning of floods devastating Rio Grande do Sul, the residents of Rio Grande do Sul have been trying to find a sense of normality amid the chaos for almost a month. One of the most recent chapters of these efforts was the inauguration, this Monday, of the Canoas air base, in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegrefor commercial flights.
Coordinated by Fraport, the concessionaire company of Salgado Filho International Airport, which is closed indefinitely after a water intrusion, the initiative was billed as a more convenient and faster option for those needing to leave the capital by plane. However, on the first day of operation, between rain, protests, detours and boardings inside a shopping mall, the experience was anything but normal.
“I find everything time-consuming and a bit confusing. It’s also anxiety-inducing to get on a plane that goes over a runway that isn’t normally used for commercial flights,” says business consultant Arthur Sisson, 26, while wait to board in the ParkShopping Canoas corridor. Residing in Porto Alegre and accustomed to traveling monthly to the interior of São Paulo, he seemed anxious and uncomfortable with the new experience. “It took a long time to get here, and the rest of the journey looks like it will be slow too,” he said.
Leaving Porto Alegre, the first challenge passengers face is getting to ParkShopping Canoas, a commercial establishment where Fraport has temporarily set up the boarding point. By car, the journey, which usually takes 40 minutes, can take up to two hours due to detours required due to blocked and flooded roads.
As if that wasn’t enough, on the morning of Monday 27th, two protests blocked the route. Residents of the neighborhoods of Humaitá and Vila Farrapos, north of Porto Alegre, practically isolated for 25 days, demonstrated by blocking the highway due to the delay of the Porto Alegre municipality in intervening to drain the water. Congestion was intense at least until early afternoon.
Arriving at the commercial establishment, the signage in the departure hall, mounted on one of the entrance doors, is good. Access is from inside the shopping center and is in front of an ice rink, which gives the experience an even more surreal atmosphere. Along the corridors, standing in front of the shops, passengers await the boarding call. On the Latam flight departing at 3.15pm towards Guarulhos, the recommendation is to arrive three hours early. It seems exaggerated, but the delay in the inspection procedure justifies it.
Even with only two flights scheduled for the first day of operations, the line to enter the lobby lasts about an hour. With only an x-ray and a metal detector portal, it takes patience to wait for the full inspection to be performed. Latam and Fraport employees seem to be very familiar with the environment and help, with a smile on their faces, to clarify the doubts that afflict many passengers.
After passing the inspection, a departure lounge with a few benches is ideal for a short rest. Soon travelers are called to undertake the first stage of the journey: by bus. There are four vehicles rented by Fraport, which can accommodate up to 46 passengers each, parked in front of the shopping centre. Once completed, they depart in convoy, escorted by official vehicles, towards the air base.
The journey takes approximately 20 minutes. The distance from the runway, where the plane awaits passengers, is 3.4 kilometers. From the exit door of the bus, travelers reach the entrance door of the plane.
On this first day of operations, Fraport made two flights possible. The first, coming from Congonhas (SP), landed in Canoas at 8 in the morning. Two hours later, around 10am, it returned to its place of origin carrying the first passengers to board the new operation. The second flight, bound for Guarulhos (SP), left Canoas air base at 3.40pm, 30 minutes later than scheduled.
It is expected that up to five flights will be operated per day. For now only the Latam airline operates commercial flights, but the Azul and Gol airlines are also expected to begin operations from June 1.
Source: Terra
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