Rio, March 29, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - Airline companies are asking passengers for international flights to arrive five hours ahead of time at the Rio de Janeiro international airport. The reason is to prevent flights from being delayed by the meticulous "model operation" conducted by Federal Police (PF) agents during the inspection of documents and baggage.

In the early morning hours today, around 300 people stood on line in the international departure terminal. The wait lasted around four hours. Various flights were delayed. The operation has been in effect since the PF strike began on March 9. The agents are demanding a salary hike.

Translator: David Silberstein