Ceará is negotiating a new direct flight to Europe in 2025, says Secretary of Tourism | Economy

Fortaleza Airport should have a new direct flight to Europe. The Secretary of Tourism of Ceará (Setur), Yrwana Albuquerque, stated that she is in negotiations with an airline that already operates in Ceará and that should expand the market in 2025.

On the European circuit, the State already operates direct routes to Lisbon, in Portugal, and Paris, in France. The expectation is to expand the air transport and provide facilities for travelers, avoiding long connections. The focus is especially on tourists who practice kitesurfing – a local economic vector, he pointed out.

Yrwana preferred not to give further details on the matter until it has been decided. On the other hand, the commercial aviation manager at Fraport Brasil – operator of Fortaleza Airport –, Pedro Navega, cited a goal of recovering European destinations, such as Spain and the Netherlands.

Cape Verde and Juazeiro

Another point raised by Yrwana and Pedro was the eventual resumption of the route from Fortaleza to Cape Verde, on the African continent. According to the secretary, they are adjusting technical issues, but she is optimistic about an announcement of the operation soon.

At the local level, the flow of flights to Juazeiro do Norte is being analyzed after the suspension of Voepass operations. Something should be implemented next year, either with Voepass, after restructuring, or with other interested companies, said Yrwana.

According to the secretary, despite the constant search for new destinations with routes in Ceará, the airline sector is highly competitive both nationally and internationally due to the lack of sufficient aircraft on the market.

Latam open to new opportunities

Latam Brasil’s public affairs manager, Eduardo Macedo, sees a similar scenario. He pointed out that the company is always open to new route opportunities, in dialogue with the State, but that today the air scenario is still challenging.

Pedro Navega, from Fraport, also explained that, in addition to the lack of aircraft, another major bottleneck is the appreciation of the dollar. The currency surpassed R$6 last week amid a political scenario of spending cuts.

Ceará, however, has a competitive advantage due to its geographic proximity to the European continent and the United States. “We believe that the aircraft shortage scenario should normalize in the coming years. This will open up new opportunities for the State.”

Resumption of route from Chile

Last Saturday, Fortaleza Airport also inaugurated a new direct flight route that connects the Capital to the city of Santiago, in Chile, operated by the airline Latam. The expectation is that 14,500 passengers will be transported per year.

With 140 passengers per aircraft, the inaugural flight recorded 80% occupancy. The average duration is 6 hours (h) and 20 minutes (min), departing from Fortaleza on Saturdays – taking off at 2:45 pm – and returning from Santiago on Sundays – at 6 am, Chilean time.

Compared to trips with connections at Guarulhos Airport, located in São Paulo, leaving through Fortaleza reduces the average travel time by 3 hours. “It is an important milestone in the air connection between Ceará and the rest of South America”, said Yrwana.

This is because it considers Santiago’s potential for connecting with other destinations, such as Australia and New Zealand, as well as destinations in Chile itself, such as Easter Island, added Eduardo Macedo, from Latam.

Fortaleza Airport is Latam’s main connection hub in the Northeast, with direct flights to 12 domestic destinations and another international flight to Miami, responsible for around 60 thousand passengers from January to October 2024.

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