Why is Afonso Pena Airport named after Curitiba if it is located in São José dos Pinhais? Complaint to Procon reignites debate

A complaint made to the Consumer Protection and Defense Program (Procon) of São José dos Pinhais, in Greater Curitiba, reignited a doubt: why is Afonso Pena International Airport advertised as being in the capital, although it is officially located in the neighboring city? For those who live in Curitiba and the Metropolitan Region, the question is old, but it doesn't usually come out of informal conversation circles. One influencer, however, decided to make the debate more serious by formalizing the complaint against Motiva Aeroportos, the concessionaire responsible for the terminal. She questions the use of the phrase "Curitiba Airport" in the company's promotional materials and states that the identification ignores the city where the structure is installed. ? Follow the g1 PR channel on WhatsApp The airport administration states that the reference to the capital follows criteria established by legislation and the airport sector. According to the concessionaire, official documents and travel systems correctly inform that the airport is in São José dos Pinhais. "This way, there is no harm or confusion to passengers when planning their trips and journeys", says the concessionaire. Afonso Pena Airport Curitiba Paraná CWB São José dos Pinhais Geraldo Bubniak/AEN The complaint does not involve the acronym CWB, used internationally by aviation. According to the complainant, the question is about the way the airport is presented to the public, mainly on facades, media and advertising actions. She requests that the concessionaire clarify the reason and argues that São José dos Pinhais be included in the terminal's identification. Procon informed that it analyzes the case and will evaluate the concessionaire's response and, if it understands that there was an irregularity, the company could be fined. A conciliation hearing between the parties is also planned. Listen: PodParaná told the story of Afonso Pena International Airport Why is it called 'Curitiba airport'? Despite being in São José dos Pinhais, Afonso Pena International Airport is historically associated with the capital as it mainly serves residents of Curitiba, the city that has the highest concentration of passengers served by the terminal. Afonso Pena International Airport in 1991 Reproduction/RPC The concessionaire cites Ordinance No. 467/CG-5/2001, which allows the use of references related to the airport service area when identifying terminals. The association of an airport with a large city, even when the terminal is in another municipality, is common in the world of aviation. See some examples: São Paulo/Guarulhos (GRU): Known as the main airport in São Paulo, the terminal is in the municipality of Guarulhos, in the Metropolitan Region of the capital of São Paulo. Belo Horizonte/Confins (CNF): Despite being named after the capital of Minas Gerais, the airport is located in Confins, around 40 kilometers from Belo Horizonte. Milan-Malpensa (MXP) – Italy - One of the main airports serving Milan is located in the municipalities of Ferno and Somma Lombardo, about 50 kilometers from the city center Washington Dulles (IAD) – United States - The airport serving the Washington region is in the states of Virginia, in the municipalities of Dulles and Chantilly, outside the American capital. City Hall defends emphasis on São José dos Pinhais Municipality of São José dos Pinhais Reproduction/RPC The City Hall of São José dos Pinhais stated, in a statement, that the current identification reduces the visibility of the municipality where the airport is located. According to the municipal administration, although the association with Curitiba is a historical regional reference, it is important to recognize São José dos Pinhais as the infrastructure's host city. "The City Hall's position is that the airport should have an identification that highlights São José dos Pinhais. More than a question of nomenclature, it is about strengthening the municipality's identity and expanding its recognition on the state, national and international scenes", says the note. The city hall stated that passengers, investors and visitors often do not realize that they are arriving in the city, which could harm the city's tourist and economic promotion. Read also: Céu Azul: Nursery teacher is arrested on suspicion of sending intimate photos of babies Images: Workers find truck buried during city hall work Crime: Pest control steals nun's card after finding it with password written down Afonso Pena International Airport in 2014 Reproduction/RPC Discussion has already reached the Courts The airport administration reported that previous requests to change the terminal's nomenclature were analyzed, in the past, by the Federal Court of Paraná. According to the concessionaire, legal actions filed in 2012 and 2021 had decisions contrary to the intended change. Airport name and acronym are different Afonso Pena Airport's acronym is CWB. Reproduction/RPC The acronym used by Afonso Pena International Airport also raises doubts. Although the terminal is associated with Curitiba, the code used internationally is CWB, and not CUR, the acronym used by Hato Airport, in Curaçao, in the Caribbean, for example. According to the International Air Transport Association (Iata), airport codes follow their own rules and do not always correspond exactly to the name of the city where the terminal is located or the way it is advertised. Most watched videos on g1 Paraná Read more news on g1 Paraná.