Sao Paulo, Brazil ? A disconnected thrust reverser emerged as a possible factor in a Brazilian jetliner overshooting the runway, but the political heat intensified Friday after an official expressed relief that blame for the deadly crash might shift away from the government.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s administration came under wide criticism after the accident at Sao Paulo’s Congonhas airport killed 191 people Tuesday night.

Critics accuse officials of failing to address long-standing air travel safety problems including deficient radars, underfunded air traffic control systems and the short, slick runway at Congonhas, Brazil’s busiest airport.

Silva, who had been largely silent about Brazil’s worst air disaster, promised in a televised address Friday night to take “all measures within our reach to diminish the risk of new tragedies.”

He announced a series of measures to remedy the situation, including limiting the number of flights and restricting the weight of planes traveling into Congonhas. He also announced plans to construct a new airport in Sao Paulo, whose location would be chosen within 90 days.

“Our aviation system, in spite of the investments we have made in expansion and modernization of almost all Brazilian airports, is passing through difficulties,” Silva said in a televised address.

Earlier in the day, the Cabinet-level Civil Aviation Council announced 10 measures to reduce traffic at Congonhas. The measures include banning charter flights and executive jets from the airport, and airlines were given 60 days to stop using it as a hub for connecting flights.