Summary Grandis said the measure was not security related but for the event not to be affected
RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Rio de Janeiro s airport for domestic flights will shut several hours a day during Olympic sailing events in the adjacent bay next year, Brazil s military said Wednesday.
Flight paths to Santos Dumont Airport in the heart of Rio de Janeiro come low over Guanabara Bay where Olympic sailors will compete Aug 8-18, requiring restrictions of four to five hours daily, air force spokesman Andre Ferreira Grandis said.
"We are discussing this, a specific timetable so that when the sailing contests take place we don t have this problem," Grandis told reporters. "Santos Dumont will not shut all day, but for a period."
Grandis said the measure was not security related but for the event "not to be affected."
Sailors have complained that the low-flying planes could disrupt races, but another major reason for the flight bans is the need to clear airspace for helicopters filming the Olympics.
Grandis said passengers coming to Rio "will not have problems with the traffic restrictions."
In August, the Brazilian Airlines Association complained about the planned closures, warning they would "paralyze" air travel and impact on more than 150,000 passengers, airlines.
The group said it was considering industrial action during the Games.
