Brazil's flood-hit airport to resume flights in Oct

The Salgado Filho international airport in Porto Alegre, in flood-hit Rio Grande do Sul state, will begin receiving some flights in October, Brazil's port and airport ministry said.

The airport, which is managed by Germany's Fraport, will initially receive roughly 50 flights/d, with the goal of resuming full capacity by year-end.

Prior to the floods, the airport had forecast that it would have 5,404 domestic and international flights (180 flights/d) and transport over 608,000 passengers in April. But it was forced to shut in late April after the record floods that hit the state.

The economy of Rio Grande do Sul state contracted by 9pc in May from the previous month, according to preliminary estimates by Brazil's central bank.

The floods have left at least 182 dead and nearly 600,000 people displaced, according to the state's civil defense.