Official stance from the government is that the new airport in natal will be one of the biggest airports in the world as far as cargo is concerned, while also being one of the largest in Brazil for passengers.

Here's a good link and an excellent site for flights, gives you a broad spread...
Cheap flights to Natal from London Area
Nothing there under £650 except for a one of Thomson for a week.
Whoever siad it but yes demand will create things....so who's going to write to Virgin/Iberia and Air France? If I was trying to sell a new house up a country lane, I'd try and persuade the council to improve the road!

A good and fair debating tactic, making a statement then asking someone to prove you wrong.

But let's change it around, how about this, why don't you convince me that what you are saying is true, which I doubt very much you can do....

Article in Brazilian newspapers yesterday (29.07.2007) stated that:

(quote)
Infraero is to invest 7 Million R$ in Augusto Severo airport, Natal with the building works to start in 2008. Mainly, works will be carried out on the Terminal, as the runways (despite being shared with the military) are enough for the current demand (although later on in the article he stated that in 2006 the maximum capacity of the Terminal was reached).

Currently, A.S. receives 23 domestic flights and 3 international flights every day. A.S. regularly welcomes flights from Portugal and charters from countries like Italy, Spain and Holland.
(endquote)

Same Newspaper, last Saturday, 28.07.2007:

(quote)
The visit by president Lula to Rio Grande do Norte, last Thursday and Friday, resulted in at least one commitment by the Federal Government with regards to the State: the Sao Gonçalo airport and the Exports Processing Zone (ZPE) in Grande Natal is among their priorities.
(endquote)

I can my friend, just done that and posted a search engine where you can look for all those "cheap flights" going into Natal. Everyone on here can look and whoever comes up with answers suits me fine. Likewise will look for more...some maybe already have these...
Cheap Worldwide Flights and cars, Discount Hotels, Bargain Holidays to Dubai, America, Australia and Thailand
.....:GOL:..:LINHAS AÉREAS INTELIGENTES:......
Processing

Find me a flight under £700 and find me a scheduled carrier direct into Natal from the UK. Nearest is TAP via Lisbon....you can search until Autumn 2008.

You see the European travel industry is consolidating, TUI are taking over many companies for example..the Uk only really has 2 players now TUI and T Cook/Airtours. UK Schedules is BA/Virgin and the rest of the EC is bankrupt national carriers..AF/KLM/LH..Sabena has gone and Swiss are pretending to be solvent. So where are your cheap and regular flights coming from?

You see all these issues are highly linked, NE Brazil cannot develop without good, regular, economic airline links...they could have the biggest, best longest runway airport in the world (as Riyaad) but it means nothing until airlines feel they can make money from the route and without traffic rights from your "hub" in Natal to other cities in Brasil, it ain't going to happen. Don't ask me ask the airlines..contact them! I am innocent until proved guilty! At least under my constitution I am!

There's more, but I am so enjoying myself now!

Look at other "emerging" markets in relation to transport..Thailand, how many flights go to Chiang Mai first rather than Bangkok? How many go to Mombasa rather than Nairobi? How may go to Capetown/George or Durban rather than J'burg? The list is endless....Cartagena rather than Bogota? Puerto Vallarta rather than Mexico City? Isla Marguerita rather than Caracas? And so it goes on. Please be rational not fanciful.

You still haven't offered me any proof that airlines will not fly there more frequently in the future, you are only offering conjecture based on searches you have done using current timetables, which is hardly proof at all as timetables can and do change very quickly.

OK let's take Mexico, how many flights are there into Cancun? Hmmm, 80 per day from out of the country, none of which have to go to Mexico City first .... plus I nearly forgot, Cancun was planned and built from the ground up from nothing.

BT

Hi all,

Actually lots of flights to natal from manchester- if you live there!!
Cheapest Ive seen £ 315 leaving 1st sept for 2 weeks- forgot to check carriers and stopoffs will have to have another look and check back!!

But airfrance offered manchester to natal from £600 onwards! yet again forgot to check itinary- I will be back!!!!!!!!

See ya D

P.S- Demand thats all it takes my friend!!
And for arguments sake if I could get a direct flight from the UK for around £300-£400 (the same as USA, Caribbean,mexican flights) With less flight time and no stopoffs-Then I will be more than happy to pay that ammount!!!

Wow, please tell me who is going Manchester Natal for £300 my suspicion is you have this mixed up with 1st Choice to Salvador..how do I know..I am on it! Air france pretend to fly to Natal..if you close your eyes and dream, in fact it iis to SP or Rio and with TAM up to Natal...a bit like having to fly to Marrakesh to get from Manchester to Dublin! Best way of checking is to go to the out bound Brasil departures site..then you get the real story as to who is whom and who really goes where and via.

To my mind if someone can find what I haven't been able to find for six months of diligent searching, good news for all. And it is important and the dream won't happen without it. As for demand..can't agree..yield is the key word and international carriers need bums on seats upfront to make it work...so unless Goldman Sacs open an office in Natal, there ain't going to be too many heavy hitters paying £3k to go there. But please keep looking so that I can justify spending more than I would now have to spend in Fuengirola!

Airlines have a unique device known as "code sharing" it is another way of selling you a Coca Cola that is really a Pepsi!

Hi all,

I know my mistake- got carried away I miss read it is going to salvador- but even so Ive seen someone post that you can pick up connections for around £ 80 return-if so the whole lot still for around £400!!!

So whats the flight time from salvador to natal..?????

See ya D

Not true Dee Dee another misconception I am afraid. Firstly, Salvador is about £365 minimum, then the internal flights are hard to book unless you have Amex and even then the direct flight goes at 2am in the morning and costs about £120. Add parking, internal flight, hassle and you are not far off TAP via Lisbon and at least you arrive at a civilised hour! About to do it in September and already regretting it apart from my Bossa Nova lessons in Salvador. But this is all good stuff....what amazes me is all these people out there trying to sell us stuff are not doing this work for us! I wonder why?