Office of Public Affairs
DOT 34-09
Friday, March 20, 2009
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-4570
DOT Proposes Continental, US Airways for New U.S.-Brazil Air Services
The U.S. Department of Transportation today proposed to award Continental
Airlines and US Airways new rights to fly to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. If
the decision is finalized, Continental could operate a new daily nonstop
roundtrip flight from Houston as early as June 1 and US Airways could
begin a new daily nonstop roundtrip flight from Charlotte, NC on Oct. 1.
In its preliminary decision, the Department noted that US Airways, the
only applicant not currently serving Brazil, would inject new competition
into the market as well as provide the first direct Brazil service from
Charlotte, where US Airways has a significant connecting hub.
Continental’s service from Houston would be the carrier’s first year-round
nonstop service to Rio de Janeiro, as well as the only year-round nonstop
flights to that city from the central or western United States, the
Department said. Other carriers filing applications were Delta Air Lines,
seeking to provide additional daily service between Atlanta and Rio de
Janeiro, and American Airlines, seeking rights to offer three weekly New
York-Rio de Janeiro flights.
The rights tentatively awarded today are made available under the second
and third stages of a June 2008 U.S.-Brazil aviation agreement that, among
other provisions, increased weekly U.S.-Brazil passenger flights for each
country’s airlines from 105 to 154 in four stages. In August 2008, the
Department awarded American 11 new weekly flights and Delta 10 under the
first-stage. The 14 remaining weekly flights, available in October 2010,
will be awarded in a future proceeding.
Objections to the show-cause order must be filed within ten days. If
objections are filed, answers are due seven days afterward. The Department
will then issue a final decision. The show-cause order, carrier
applications and other documents in the case are available on the Internet
at www.regulations.gov, docket
DOT-OST-2009-0003.