Brazil’s hosting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup provided a boost for the local aviation fuels industry, according to World Fuel Services (WFS). The Miami, Florida-based company (Booth 3010) noted that the entire Mercosur region (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela and Bolivia) benefited from the tournament for weeks, even before the first teams took to the pitch in June.
WFS presently supplies approximately 450 locations throughout Central and South America that are eligible to participate in the company’s FlyBuys loyalty rewards program. Last year the company expanded its contract fuel, Avcard and MS Aero Card customers internationally. As the tempo of World Cup preparations increased, WFS noted increased traffic in the region from multinational sponsors, media and equipment providers, leading up to the influx of tourists for the tournament itself. According to Lider Aviacão, Brazil’s largest private aviation company, which had a presence at all the host cities, it handled more than 6,200 aircraft operations and nearly 50,000 passengers during June and July.
