The U.S. Department of Transportation is taking applications for new airline route authorities to Brazil for 2011 and 2012. The US/Brazil will become Open Skies as of October 2015. Between now and then, there are four rounds of additional route awards. The DOT is handling the first two founds currently, with 14 new weekly flights to anywhere in Brazil but Sao Paulo plus an additional 14 weekly flights to anywhere but Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo available effective in each of October 2011 and October 2012.
US Airways is not expected to apply for these, as it already flies to Rio and has a deal in place to lease route authorities for Sao Paulo, with flights expected to begin in November. Still, the airline biz can be wacky, so you never quite know for sure.
Bonus observation: Nothing yet on additional route authorities to Colombia as part of a move towards Open Skies with that country.
