Authorities lifted a ban on takeoffs from three major Brazilian airports Wednesday after fixing an air traffic communications system that broke down a day earlier, prompting an unprecedented wave of flight cancellations and travel chaos.
But lines were long at the airport in the capital of Brasilia, at the main airport in the large central city of Belo Horizonte and at the Sao Paulo airport that handles most domestic flights from Brazil's biggest city to all corners of the country.
Brazilian airlines suspended ticket sales until the situation is totally resolved and travelers who were forced to sleep in airport terminals overnight are able to make it on to flights that had been scheduled to depart Tuesday, Brazil's Agencia Estado news agency reported.
Investors initially sold shares of Brazil's two largest airlines, concerned about the financial impact on the companies, but both carriers' stocks recovered.
American depository shares of No. 1 carrier Tam Linhas Aereas SA closed up 1.1 percent Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange, or 35 cents to $29.70. Shares of Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA, Brazil's second largest airline, rose 1 cent to $29.23, also on the NYSE.
On Tuesday night, Brazil's Civil Aviation Authority halted virtually all takeoffs from the three airports because of a communications system failure that reduced the number of radio frequencies air traffic controllers could use to communicate with pilots.
Milton Zuanazzi, head of the aviation authority, said Wednesday that travelers were not in danger and that the takeoffs were prohibited to ensure passenger safety, according to Agencia Estado.
Authorities did not immediately identify what caused the breakdown. But federal police discounted the possibility of sabotage, saying the problem appeared to be technical and that they would only investigate if asked by Brazil's military, which runs the system, Agencia Estado said.
The aviation authority acknowledged that the incident was Brazil's most disruptive air traffic communications failure in history.
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