Estudo de viabilidade de operação de um aeroporto regional no Seridó Potiguar

Abstract

Air transport is of great importance for the economic development of regions. It shortens distances and reduces travel times for people to reach their destinations. Thus, regional aviation enables the connection between urban centers and small or medium-sized isolated cities, bringing a modal alternative to land transport. For this reason, the Federal Government launched, in 2015, the Regional Aviation Development Program (PDAR), aiming at qualifying airfields to receive investments to activate or expand their operation. However, it is essential that regions capable of demonstrating satisfactory demand for services and attracting operating companies and infrastructure investments are identified. In this context, the importance of examining the operational viability of regional airports grows. In this article, a preliminary feasibility analysis is carried out for a regional airport in Caicó-RN that polarizes the Seridó regions of Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba States. Based on the PDAR, the conditions of the region of influence, the current situation of the Caicó aerodrome and estimates of demand for services are examined. Although the analysis is a preliminary one, the results attest to the feasibility of including Caicó airport in the PDAR.