The Brazilian government is optimistic about the pace of preparations for the 2014 World Cup even though a report shows that work on improving transportation infrastructure has yet to start in more than half of the host cities, and that airport renovations will not be completed in time for the 2013 Confederations Cup.
''We are confident the country is on the right track to host the World Cup,'' Sports Minister Orlando Silva said Wednesday, nearly 1,000 days before the World Cup.
But despite downplaying fears in preparation delays, the government released a report showing that upgrading the country's outdated airport infrastructure remains a challenge.
The government said all airport upgrades will be finalized in time for the World Cup, but none will be fully ready before the Confederations Cup, the important warmup tournament for the World Cup.
The government had previously said that five airports were expected to be ready by June 2013, when the Confederations Cup begins, but none will be completed by then. Among the key airports being upgraded are those in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Work on five of the 13 airports for the World Cup have not begun, and completion dates in eight of them have been pushed back. Work is yet to start in Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Manaus, Recife and Salvador.
The report comes only two days after a federal judged halted work at Sao Paulo's international airport, saying that its expansion project was started illegally without a bidding process.
The date for the Natal airport in northeastern Brazil was moved up from April 2014 to December 2013.
''We are confident that the airports will be ready in time for the World Cup,'' Civil Aviation Minister Wagner Bittencourt said. ''We can rest assured they won't be a problem. In fact, they will be part of the solution.''
Officials said the total investment on airport upgrades has increased compared to estimates from the beginning of the year, going from 5.5 billion reals ($3.2 billion) to 6.4 billion reals ($3.7 billion).
Much of the work to improve transportation infrastructure in the host cities also won't be completed in time for the Confederations Cup, including in Rio de Janeiro, which is expected to host the competition's final.
Most of the projects are scheduled to end in late 2013, but some are not expected to be completed until May 2014, just one month before the World Cup begins. Seven of the host cities are yet to begin construction work, and only nine of the nearly 50 transportation projects for the World Cup are under way.
Officials said they weren't worried about the progress.
''We are working at the right pace to get the country ready to host a great World Cup,'' Planning Minister Miriam Belchior said.
The total investment in transportation infrastructure is estimated at 12.1 billion reals ($7 billion).
Officials also downplayed concerns over stadium construction, saying that nine of the 12 stadiums will be ready by the end of 2012. Only the venues in Manaus, Natal and Sao Paulo will be completed in 2013.
Brazil will also spend nearly 1 billion reals to upgrade seven ports, but work won't start until December 2011. All are scheduled to be ready in 2013.
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Associated Press writer Marco Sibaja in Brasilia, Brazil, contributed to this report.
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