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Brazilian airports currently being upgraded for the 2014 World Cup likely will not be ready in time, according to . The incomplete projects are expected to cause transportation bottlenecks for the influx of fans and visitors.
A study by Brazil's Institute for Applied Economic Research said that only two of the 13 airport terminals under expansion will be ready by 2014. Another brand new airport in the Cup host city of Natal has no firm completion date.
“The situation is such that it's increasingly unlikely that these projects will be ready on time,” said Carlos Campos, one of the authors of the study.
Other infrastructure deficiencies, such as poor roads and insufficient public transportation in large cities, also complicate the issue, as does Brazil's playing host to the Summer Olympic games in 2016. In February, Brazilian soccer legend Pele was quoted as saying Brazil risked embarrassing itself.
To handle the deficiencies, temporary terminals with remote boarding facilities far from principal buildings will be needed, the study concluded. Brazil's tourism industry is expecting between 800,000 and 1 million visitors for the Cup.
–Michael Webster