The 46th edition of the Copa América, the quadrennial international men’s association football championship organized by CONMEBOL (South America’s football committee), will take place from June 14 to July 7, 2019 at five sites in Brazil.

Although the event is not on the scale of tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, it may will still attract a large quantity of local business aviation, putting a strain on airport parking, hotels and slot arrangements. If you plan on attending Copa América or will be operating to one of the venue cities, here’s what you need to know.

1. Venues

The event will take place at five different cities in Brazil: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre and Salvador.

2. Match schedule

The match schedule can be viewed here.

3. Planning Lead times

If you’re attending Copa América, here are the lead times you need to consider:

• Two days: Permits require 48 business hours (for domestic permits) or one day for single stops at international airports.
• One day: After the permit is issued, it is time to register the aircraft in the slot system. It can take up to one day.
• Five days: Slots become available five days prior to the ETA.
• Eight days: Lead time is ideal for domestic flights / 7 days for international flights.

4. Slots

Slots will be required at airports in all five host cities, so it will be vital to provide adequate lead times.

• Slot window: Slots are available between 120 hours and one hour 30 minutes from the proposed time.
• Cancelation policy: Slots can be cancelled up to four hours prior to the proposed time. Cancellations that take place after this period may be subject to notifications and eventual fines.
• Opportunity slots: If the slot correspondent to your intended schedule is not available, you’ll be able to apply for an opportunity slot. Opportunity slots are available for application from four hours to one hour prior the intended time.
• Departure slots: Applications are made by phone by an operator’s service provider.
• Arrival slots: Applications are made by phone if the aircraft is still on the ground. If the aircraft is already airborne, slots can be coordinated with the APP.
• Slot updates: Tail changes or airport changes will need to be done by phone and may take some time. An alternative is dropping the slot and obtaining it again with the proper information. This is risky, however, because once dropped, it may be available to anyone.
• Slot deviation: The slot deviation is -15 min / 30 min, except when the operator has the clearance but there are delays caused by weather, ATS service delays, and airport infrastructure.
• Number of slots daily: Each aircraft is allowed to have no more than two arrival slots and two departure slots at the same airport.
• SBSP is the priority: If you’re flying to São Paulo/Congonhas Airport (SBSP) from a coordinated airport, you’re exempt from needing a departure slot, as long as you have an SBSP arrival slot. This is also the case if you’re flying from SBSP to another location. If you have a departure slot from SBSP, you’re exempt from needing an arrival slot at the next location.
• Schedule changes are possible, but you’ll always need to take into consideration the 45 minutes lead time, unless your local supplier is able to file and manage the plan for you. In case the supplier has access to the native ATC system, their lead time for CHG and DLA will reduce to 30 minutes.

If you need assistance with slot applications, Universal Aviation Brazil can help. Contact us for the complete slot schedule.

5. Airport options

All major airports at the venue cities are options for landing and parking. Below is a quick breakdown on airport options:

• São Paulo
  • SBGR – AOE: Yes / Slot: For selected periods / Fuel: Available / VIP Lounge: Private only / Parking: Private parking / Operations: 24/7
  • SBSP – AOE: No / Slot: Required / Fuel: Available / VIP Lounge: Hangar / Parking: Private Hangar / Operations: between 06h00 until 23h00 local
  • SBKP – AOE: Yes / Slot: Not required / Fuel: Available / VIP Lounge: Not available / Parking: Available – Few positions available. / Operations: 24/7
• Rio de Janeiro
  • SBGL – AOE: Yes / Slot: Only for the selected periods / Fuel: Available / VIP Lounge: Private Only / Parking: Available / Operations: 24/7
  • SBRJ – AOE: No / Slot: Requested for the period / Fuel: Available / VIP Lounge: Hangar / Parking: Not available / Operations: between 06h00 until 23h00 local
• Belo Horizonte
  • SBCF – AOE: Yes / Slot: Only for the selected periods / Fuel: Available / VIP Lounge: No / Parking: Not many spots available / Operations: 24/7
  • SBBH – AOC: No / Slot: Required for the selected periods / Fuel: Available / VIP lounge: Available: / Parking: Available / Operations: 24/7
• Porto Alegre
  • SBPA – AOE: Yes / Slot: Only for the selected periods / Fuel: Available / VIP lounge: Affirmative / Parking: Available / Operations: 24/7
• Salvador
  • SBSV – AOE: Yes / Slot: Only for the selected periods / Fuel: Available / VIP lounge: Affirmative / Parking available / Operations: 24/7

6. Hotels

All the locations are served by major hotel networks. Most are full, but not all are sold out yet.

Conclusion

The Copa América is a high-traffic regional sporting event in Brazil, impacting operations in five cities. Slots and services will be in high demand, so it’s best to check with your service provider as far in advance as possible.