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| Executive Travel: São Paulo |
Private Aviation
Michelle Seaton
03/01/2006
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In São Paulo, where the threat of kidnapping is a constant worry for affluent
individuals, those who travel by private aircraft face significant security
issues. Individuals arriving by private jet, who disembark into luxury vehicles,
are prime targets for abduction or violent crime. Experts advise anyone flying
into the city’s two major airports to arrange for private security and safe ground
transportation prior to their journey.
Jerry Aiken, who pilots a Falcon 900EX
to São Paulo once a month for TAG Aviation, one of the largest charter companies
in Brazil, says that his passengers typically have an armed security detail
waiting for them at Guarulhos Airport. After clearing customs, they travel in a
bullet-proof Mercedes. “As far as the flight crew goes, we just take a cab, and
try to keep near or inside the hotel the whole time,” he says.
Some
travelers may wish to avoid ground transportation from the airport entirely;
taking a helicopter directly from the airport to your hotel or office building
is a popular alternative. São Paulo features nearly 300 heliports in and around
the city (compared with about 60 in New York). Helicopter traffic is more
congested here than in any city in the world; at any time there may be 20 to 30
overhead. Most are owned by the police, oil companies and wealthy individuals.
Very few are available for charter.
Helicopter Transport
“Executive helicopter lift is highly desirable in São
Paulo, but difficult to find,” says Walt Lamon, president of Wyvern Consulting,
a firm that conducts on-site safety audits of charter providers. (See Best
Hotels chart, page 74, for hotels that offer heliports.)
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