RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Passengers are sweltering without air conditioning in parts Rio de Janeiro’s Antonio Carlos Jobim international airport with temperatures outside hovering around 40C (104F).
A spokeswoman for Infraero, which oversees Brazil’s airport infrastructure, acknowledged Friday that the air conditioning was off in a part of the facility because of on-going construction at Rio’s largest airport. She says it will remain off until February, the height of South America’s summer.
Brazil’s shoddy airports are a major worry heading into the World Cup in five months with many overhauls delayed or scrapped. About 500,000 foreign visitors are expected, stretching airport capacity at 12 venues across the continent-size country.
Airport capacity and delays in completing 12 stadiums are major worries with football fans facing flight delays and confusion around just-completed venues.
