April 2022 marks a great achievement for the people of Rio Grande do Sul. The long-awaited work to extend the runway at Porto Alegre International Airport has been completed and approved by the relevant bodies. After the ICA (Aeronautics Cartographic Institute) - responsible for issuing the new procedure letters for the use of the runway, which has been expanded by 920 meters - had completed its publicity procedures, it was cleared for use on May 19, 2022, the result of an investment of R$135 million.

Part of the improvements assigned to Fraport Brasil by the concession contract signed with Anac (National Civil Aviation Agency), the runway works were due to be delivered in December 2021. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent delay in vacating part of the Vila Nazaré area, which was within the airport site, the Agency granted an additional eight months for the work to be completed.

The work to extend the runway began in March 2018 and includes a series of adaptations and projects that go beyond the extension itself. In December 2018, the new Taxiway P was delivered, which facilitated the flow of aircraft in Yards 1 and 2, especially large aircraft operating international flights.

The first quarter of 2019 saw the delivery of power substation 2, dedicated to the Passenger Terminal, the refurbishment of the RESA (runway end safety area) on apron 11, and a series of improvements to the taxiway sidewalks, shoulders, perimeter wall and installation of new operational fences to provide greater security for aircraft movement areas.

In October 2021, work began in the Vila Nazaré area. A perimeter wall was installed and vegetation was cleared. The site underwent two stages of cleaning. 28,388 tons of waste were removed at a cost of more than R$4.5 million. The RESA (runway end safety area) at headland 29 was also built and air navigation equipment installed.

Drainage at the airport site

Due to the characteristics of the soil and the level of the terrain where the airport is located, Fraport Brasil built a new drainage system, divided into five rainwater accumulation basins.

The water is dampened and accumulated in these reservoirs and, by means of gravity and pump houses, is directed either to the Gravataí River or to the Porto Alegre City Hall Pump House 6.

All five basins collect rainwater from the airport, but basins 1, 2 and 5 also collect rainwater from the municipality of Porto Alegre. When all the basins are added together, the storage volume reaches 1,015,371.2 m³ and corresponds to 406 Olympic-sized swimming pools in an area of 422,165.7 m², or 50 soccer fields.

Only 14% of this volume of water comes from the airport and the remaining 86% comes from the municipality of Porto Alegre. To support the operation of this system, four Pump Houses (CB) were built, operated by electricity and backed up by individual generator sets.

With a total cost of R$170 million, this is considered one of the municipality's largest drainage programs.

Capacity with the extension

The previous runway, at 2,280m, allowed operations with a maximum range of approximately 9,000km, but with a limited maximum capacity for passengers and air cargo (75%). The extension to 3,200m will allow full cargo operations over a distance of around 12,000km.

With the extension of the runway, the airport will be able to receive aircraft of the following types: B747.400 - 13,450km of range and an approximate weight of 397 tons (combining passengers, cargo and fuselage), B777.300ER - 11,120km of range and an approximate weight of 300 tons (combining passengers, cargo and fuselage) and A330- 900 - 13,334km of range and an approximate weight of 251 tons (combining passengers, cargo and fuselage).

The extension will be a differentiator for Rio Grande do Sul industry, which currently has to transport most of its production by road to São Paulo and then onwards by air to its destination abroad.

"The works on the airside infrastructure, the runway and the taxiways fully comply with the obligations set out in the Concession Contract, with the regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization and with the Brazilian Civil Aviation Regulations and those of the Air Navigation Management Centre. The capacity of the runway has not been modified and the procedures for the safe and efficient operation of the installed infrastructure likewise follow the established regulations. There will be no delays or other negative impacts on operations due to the extension of the runway," explains Andreea Pal, president of Fraport Brasil.

"The airside infrastructure works were very challenging in terms of volume and timeframe, not only because of the technical issues, but also because of the additional difficulties imposed by a pandemic. Despite this scenario, the HTBM Consortium (HTB, Tedesco and Barbosa Mello) met the client's deadlines, fulfilling all the targets set by the contract with maximum safety, quality and sustainability. This project generated 7,444 direct jobs, of which more than 85% were Gaucho employees. For us, in addition to the satisfaction of having been chosen to carry out such an important project, being contracted by Fraport for its first major operation in Brazil also reinforces our confidence in our expertise," said Detlef Dralle, CEO of HTB, the leading company in the HTBM Consortium.

ILS (Instrument Landing System)

On April 20, 2022, Fraport Brasil received formal approval for its landing and take-off equipment, including the Instrument Landing System (ILS) from CINDACTA II (Second Integrated Center for Air Defense and Air Traffic Control). The ILS has been operational since April 21, 2022.

CAT II operation requires horizontal visibility greater than 300 meters in length and vertical visibility greater than 30.5 meters. However, it is worth noting that pilots must be qualified to operate CAT II ILS and aircraft must be equipped to do so. In other words, CAT II requires certain conditions for operation.

However, it is important to note that the airport never closes. The Control Tower, using the data collected by the equipment installed at the side of the runway, alerts you to the visibility conditions. The decision to land or not is always up to the pilot, according to their training and the characteristics of the aircraft.

Social and environmental responsibility

On December 17, 2021, Fraport Brasil handed over the facilities of the Cézar Busatto Marist School of Early Childhood Education. The site is part of the improvement and infrastructure works at the Irmãos Maristas Allotment and aims to contribute to a quality environment for the community's children.

Since 2018, the company has been in talks with Porto Alegre City Hall to find out more about the project and understand the needs and complexities of this development. Work on this school had already begun, but had not been completed. Fraport Brasil was responsible for renovating the existing structure and expanding the building, organizing the rooms and acquiring furniture. It also carried out an evaluation of the description of the project in order to assess whether the initial project and building complied with the technical and safety standards in force.

The Proinfância Type C standard project, drawn up by the FNDE (Education Development Fund), was used to build the nursery school. The existing building was refurbished and a new roof, cladding and closings were installed. A complete infrastructure project was drawn up for the extension. In addition, a Databook (owner's manual) was prepared to be given to the site managers.

"The first step was a technical assessment of the existing structure and a study of the standard project. When building a facility of this type, which will be handed over to a third party, you have to take into account not only the choice of materials and techniques used, but also the cost and maintenance plan. The aim is to deliver a functional, high-quality school that is not costly from the point of view of building maintenance," explains Airina Ribas, Fraport Brasil's infrastructure manager.

The school has 700 m² of built area (530 m² of renovation + 170 m² of extension) and has capacity for 120 children in two shifts, or 60 full time, from 0 to 5 years and 11 months.

"This project represents a great difference for the families of the Marist Brothers, not only socially but also economically. With the new crèche, mothers will have a safe place to leave their children and many will be able to return to the job market, boosting the region's economy and seeking financial independence for their families," says Andreea Pal.