The long-awaited direct air connection between Asunción and Miami is back on the negotiating table. Dinac President Nelson Mendoza reported that Gol Linhas Aéreas contacted the Paraguayan government last week to resume talks, after an initial rejection of the offer from national authorities.
“The Gol people called us last week to talk again. Hopefully this is the continuation of a path that started with ups and downs,” Mendoza told Monumental 1080 AM radio.
The central point of the discussions is the subsidy demanded by the company to start operations. Mendoza explained that, although the practice is common in other countries, Dinac's organic charter prevents it from deciding on subsidies. “We are the regulatory and airport operator body, we have the numbers in hand, but we cannot decide on subsidies,” he said.
In parallel, Dinac has already obtained international authorizations and, last week, received experts from the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport to certify security measures. “They certify the security of all flights entering American territory,” Mendoza highlighted.
This Tuesday, a meeting between the Chief of Staff of the Presidency, Javier Giménez, and representatives of Gol should define the next steps in the negotiations.