GW, thanks for saying I’m good in legalities (was it a compliment?), I’m not lawyer though. Perhaps I'm in the wrong profession...
Today international carriers can do the following:
- Have code-share agreements. I can buy a ticket all way to Fortaleza with AirFrance, though AirFrance don’t do this route, but they have code-share with domestic airlines that make the price a bit better, not much because they have to deal with only two domestic carriers;
- Stop in one internal destination and follow to another internal destination to drop off the remaining passengers, as Robh pointed out. For instance, a company can stop by Natal (or Fortaleza, Recife,…) and keeping traveling to Maceio (or…) without problems. What an international carrier cannot do today is, while in Natal, load up the plane with passengers to drop them off in Maceio (or…); that would characterize a domestic service not allowed for international carries (I’m not aware of any country that do that). Well, the proposed Law mentioned earlier, deletes the article that states that only national carriers can provide domestic flights; in this case, if this change is approved as well, they will be able to provide domestic service while doing, for instance, the “Natal-Maceio” leg.
- Regardless of the approval of this law, today an international carrier can stop in Brazilian territory, “unload and load” passengers and keep traveling to another country. For instance, an international carrier can stop by in Natal (or Fortaleza, Recife, Salvador,…), drop off some passengers, get some more, and travel to, for example, Caracas. Actually, that is exactly what says the agreement with Emirates Airlines. They got approval to fly to three destinations in Brazil (so far, only SP was picked), and then the aircraft can keep traveling to another three South America destinations. Not less important, the agreement says that they are free to price this route! Why they asked permission to do that? Humm… These is not a speculative statement because the agreement is public available (dated May 2007/bilateral agreement between Brazil and UAE).
The real problem is domestic flights, but these protected companies have their days counted.
I’ve no claims that I understand tourism or property (I think the guys around are JMBroad, Robh, Michael, Celt, Paul_Brasil,… sorry if I miss some names, or mistakenly include some). At this point I’m even confused what I should do next, buy to rent or buy a Summer house (my original plan), and where (no $ for the overpriced 3bedrooms Ponta Negra)…But I believe things are getting in place, and my feeling is that I might be late already to buy something in the NE. I’m even having some thoughts of starting to bash Brazil before I buy something, and do the other way around after I buy it... Nahh!

Be aware: The Leather Back turtle is coming through!