Brazil hosts the World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016 but is struggling to update its airports and add capacity in time. In 2010, the government announced that rather than rely on state airports agency Infraero to undertake the necessary work, it would seek concessions contracts from private-sector companies to expand and modernise some of the country's airports.

Traditionally, Infraero, which used to be a branch of the military, has had responsibility for almost all Brazil’s airports but ANAC, the recently-formed Civil Aviation Authority, took charge of the proposals, calling at first (in Jun-2010 and after an exasperating 1H2010 for potential investors) for proposals to develop a new USD575 million airport at Sao Goncalo do Amarante in Natal, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte.