Brazil report on air traffic at odds with govt view

[BRASILIA] Brazil insists its airports will be ready for up to 600,000 foreign visitors during next year's World Cup, but an internal report said severe overcrowding and long flight delays are likely, with passenger traffic exceeding capacity by as much as 50 per cent even if extensive renovations are finished on time.

The report, prepared by the sports ministry with the help of outside consultants, dates back to March 2011. Reuters recently reviewed the full report, including its forecasts on air traffic that the government never made public.

"The situation at airports is critical given the current saturation seen in the sector," the report said. "Some airports are in need of urgent solutions."