Inframerica, a concessionaire for Natal International Airport (Sao Goncalo do Amarante) in Brazilian state Rio Grande do Norte, requested the Federal Government to return the concession. If the request is approved, there will be a new bidding process and the operation of Natal Airport will be transferred to a new operator.

Natal Airport was the first airport in Brazil transferred to the private sector, in 2011, and the first federal airport to be built from scratch by the private sector. The concessionaire began operations in May 2014. The concession had a term of 28 years.

Inframerica estimates that it has invested BRL 700 million (USD 151 million) in the project.

One of the factors for termination of the contract by the concessionaire is the passenger traffic numbers. The expectation was that the terminal in Natal would handle 4.3 million passengers in 2019. However, the registered flow was 2.3 million. In addition, Natal boarding fares are 35% lower compared to other privatized airports in the country under the same fare regime. Air navigation tariffs at Natal Airport are also out of date. The amounts charged by the other control towers are up to 301% higher than that of Natal Airport.

With this request for re-bidding, the concessionaire believes that a new operator with new contractual conditions will be more likely to have a sustainable operation in the long term.