Just the usual , N. airport , going to be 5th largest economy etc etc just starting out which i supposes go's inline with all the bulding work and money being invested and having had alook online at different resources
Natal Airport:
Opens in 2009 and will be one of the biggest airports in the world: Hype
As to the truth, opinions are divided on the matter - read the thread "Brazil Flight Information" for everyone's opinion. Some people (GW is the main advocate I believe) say there is no need for a new airport therefore it will never happen, despite state officials constantly talking about it in the local newspapers.
Here's my opinion:
Government are stating that it will be one of the biggest cargo airports in the world, largest in South America. This makes sense as many flights pass straight over Natal en route to other destinations in Brazil. The BR101 is being worked on and improved to help move the cargo once it arrives as well as potential to transport by sea to and from Natal to other cities along the coast. Official statements say (and I agree) that passenger capacity will triple (from 1.3 mil to 5 mil) initially, with the possibility of future increase to 15 mil and (eventually far off in the future if expectations are met) up to 40 million. 40 million would be comparable to some of the largest airports in the world and whether it will happen or not is very dubious at this stage. Although the government say that they would like it to happen and there is enough land and possibilities for it to happen, it's far too early to tell. Having said that it is important that they are building the airport with the intention of expansion in the future rather than building one airport today and having to build another in 5 years time.
Plans for the airport construction are to be layed out over the coming 12 months, with construction starting shortly thereafter. Completion date unknown although due to the Football World Cup in 2014 I would expect at least phase 1 (5 million passengers) to be complete before that to allow Natal to compete with other Brazilian cities for games.
Economy:
Think pretty much everyone agrees that it's likely to become one of the most powerful global economies within the next 25 years.
Infrastructure:
A lot of investment going on at the moment with regards to infrastructure all around the country, with the NE getting the largest slice of the cake (around 36% of capital invested is in the NE with the other three regions sharing the remaining 64%).
Just starting out:
Hmm there's one for debate. Depends who you are and what you are looking to buy. In some areas, land prices are doubling every 6 months because developers from all over the country and from Europe are buying up huge plots of land. So while it may be early days for the "Joe Bloggs" investor looking to buy a holiday home and make some money on it, it's really late days for developers looking to buy and develop land. Arguably therefore (with the most recent launch in Natal just last weekend in Jacuma) every day that passes is time wasted.
My recent trip only confirmed to me that the market has fantastic potential. I will be investing in Brazil myself as soon as I find the right property for me, before prices rise too much. Due to personal taste I won't be buying in GNG (too large for me) and won't buy anywhere near Ponta Negra - if I want decadence I can find that in Europe - I choose Brazil for different reasons.