The Brazilian Government plans to shorten both runways at San Paulo’s Congonhas Airport in order to create runway safety areas. In the wake of July’s fatal TAM Airbus A320 runway excursion, the longer 17R/35L runway, on which the ill-fated TAM Flight 3054 landed, will be shortened by 300 meters to 1,640 meters, while the parallel 17L35R will be reduced by 240 meters to 1,195 meters. The Brazilian Ministry of Defense conducted a study of options to increase safety at the airport. Congonhas is now prohibiting large civil transports from using the shorter runway and landing restrictions are being imposed on the larger runway during heavy rain. TAM says the changes will have little effect on its operations at the airport. Landings and takeoffs by the Airbus A319 and A320, which make up the company's fleet, are now being conducted on the main runway. The A319 Airbus will continue to operate at Congonhas without restrictions under dry runway conditions, and with minimal restrictions for takeoff from wet runways. TAM has 15 planes of this type, seven of them for the Sao Paulo -- Rio de Janeiro shuttle service. The Airbus A320 will also continue to land and take off as usual, using the main runway when it is dry. When the runway is wet, there will be slight weight limitations for landing and takeoff. TAM has 62 A320 aircraft in its fleet. It is estimated that only two percent of TAM flights at Congonhas will be affected by the new runway configuration. As far as the number of flights is concerned to and from this airport there will be no immediate change.