Without comment ...
The International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations, representing air traffic controllers around the world, continued criticizing Brazil for its poor aviation safety record yesterday and suggested that "foreign experts should intervene" to ensure safe skies, according to Reuters.
"Brazilian authorities are too busy trying to save face. They're putting the traveling public at risk," Reuters quoted the group's president, Marc Baumgartner, as saying.
Jose Carlos Pereira, the head of Brazil's airport authority, called the international air controllers group "a bunch of idiots wanting to intervene in our affairs," Reuters reported. "Brazil doesn't need international help. They should care for their air space and we'll take care of ours," he said.
Brazzil.com quoted Pereira as adding: "It certainly was a tragedy, but it was our tragedy."
--ends
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6 comments:
"Brazilian authorities are too busy trying to save face. They're putting the traveling public at risk" -> Totally true!!!
How long does Lucky Lula think it will take to build this BEAUTIFUL NEW AIRPORT he's told us? 10 years, stupid, 10 &%%^&%^^% years! And from now on, what do we do? Like the Secretary of Tourism said: relax and enjoy. I add: AND PRAY.
This is the kind of B.S. that Infraero puts out (from their own webpage on July 19th ( http://www.infraero.gov.br/impr_noti_prev.php?ni=4430&menuid=impr ):
'Como administradora da rede federal de aeroportos, a Infraero afirma com toda segurança a todos os usuários, clientes, companhias aéreas, à mídia e ao público em geral, que o Aeroporto de Congonhas está plenamente dotado de condições operacionais de excelência nas suas duas pistas, que recentemente passaram por reformas estruturais.
Em mais alguns dias, como estava já previsto há meses no Plano de Obras, serão realizadas obras de “grooving” (ranhuras) na pista principal para permitir uma condição operacional ainda mais perfeita para drenagem de águas pluviais.'
In the meantime, tonight, the end of that "perfect" main runway is collapsing due to rain, oh wait... could that be due to the horrible construction job that was negligently performed in the first place?
And, what did the Aeronautica have to say about the ATCs up in Manaus having complained in the past about problems with the power -- the Aeronautica just denied it, of course, just like they deny every single thing (no dead zones over the Amazon, for example). None of the pronouncements that come out of the Aeronautica have any credibility -- no one believes a word they say.
And I can say with certainty that if there is a scoundrel in this mess (or scoundrels, in fact), they are inside Infraero (just check out the recent real estate deals perpetrated around Brasília's airport).
Mr. Sharkey, you are only scratching the tip of the iceberg, sorry to say.
Either I jumped the gun or Infraero just published this piece of nonsense on their website (http://www.infraero.gov.br/impr_noti_prev.php?ni=4447&menuid=impr):
'O Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas (IPT), de São Paulo, uma das renomadas instituições científicas do País, emitiu parecer técnico parcial sobre a qualidade técnica da pista principal do Aeroporto de Congonhas, em São Paulo, concluindo que os valores medidos de atrito revelam-se acima dos limites mínimos especificados.
O parecer técnico foi emitido por solicitação da Infraero, após as recentes obras na pista principal, para avaliar os resultados recentes do revestimento asfáltico empregado.'
Loosely translated: the runway's construction passes the minimum specifications. Meanwhile, the end of it is crumbled off and falling to the ground in tonight's rain.
Whatever is state-controlled in Brazil, instead of being seen and monitored as belonging to everyone, seems actually “nobody’s land”. There are several different governmental institutions in charge of aviation in Brazil, none of them competent to tackle the chaos in our aviation system. Our public institutions – not just the ones related to aviation – are swollen with bureaucracy, nepotism, disgusting privileges to certain groups (such as huge pensions, “bonuses” and early retirement), and, of course, corruption. I honestly don’t think we will be able to solve these problems by ourselves. Our society seems to always choose quiet resignation instead of putting pressure on the authorities to change the status quo. In spite of all the mess we have witnessed over the past months, and its tragic consequences, our government goes on hypocritically declaring that our skies are safe and “there are no systemic aviation problems” here…
After years watching and reading about so many unsolved scandals, whose influential protagonists are never punished, I can’t help thinking that ONLY INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE could make our government carry out the necessary changes.
Please intervene!!! Brazilian authorities are not competent or have the knowledge to solve the problem. I am Brazilian and I would like for some international intervation now!!!
Dear Joe,
I have become a big fan of yours as a Brazilian citizen who's trying tto swim against the tide.
Regarding this post I just want to warn you that the final quote is not particularly corret. A more precise translation would say: "The crisis belongs to us. It's our dead people." And that was said with a xenofobic proud and passion that's impossible to transfer to paper. Shame on us!! Please keep on trying to wake us. You are not alone. Read: www.olavodecarvalho.org, a brazilian philosopher living in the US, who seem to have the correct diagnostic for what is really going on down here.
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