Flights diverted from Sao Paulo

TAM airlines, the company whose plane crashed and killed 199 people last week, cancelled or diverted 90 flights on Tuesday away from Sao Paulo’s main airport because of safety concerns. The crash highlighted the danger of the short runway at the airport which was compounded by rainy conditions still present this week.

TAM was the only airline to take this precaution, but Congonhas Airport was closed for several periods to all flights because of the adverse weather conditions. The airport is the busiest in Brazil, handing (at least before the crash) 600 take offs and landings a day.

Thousands were stranded as 68 domestic flights were cancelled and a further 22 flights were diverted. TAM is the largest airline in the country.

The airport’s main runway, which measures only 6,362 feet, has been closed for investigation since the crash on July 17th.

www.tam.com.br