Exploring South America: Airport Count And Travel Options

South America is home to 420 airports, including São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport, one of the largest airports in Brazil by area. The continent is a popular tourist destination, with a rich history and a wide range of languages spoken by its inhabitants.

São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport, Brazil

There are 420 airports in South America, with São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport, Brazil, being one of the largest in the country and the world. The airport, formerly known as Cumbica Airport, is located in the district of Cumbica and the municipality of Guarulhos, in the state of São Paulo. It is the primary international airport serving São Paulo and has three passenger terminals with more than 350 check-in counters. The airport is the busiest in Brazil in terms of transported passengers, aircraft operations, and cargo handled, placing it as the second busiest airport in Latin America by passenger traffic.

In 2024, São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport was named one of the best airports in the world by AirHelp, and it has also been recognised for its punctuality, achieving the second-best position in the world and first in Latin America in 2017 and 2019. The airport is operated by a consortium composed of Invepar S/A, Airports Company South Africa, and Infraero, and some of its facilities are shared with the São Paulo Air Force Base of the Brazilian Air Force.

The initial planning of the airport involved three runways and four passenger terminals, but the first phase of construction, which began in 1980, included only two runways and two terminals. The airport was officially inaugurated in 1985 and quickly became the city's primary airport, supplanting the São Paulo–Congonhas Airport. Since 2001, the airport has been named after André Franco Montoro, the former Governor of São Paulo state.

El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá, Colombia

There are 420 airports in South America. El Dorado International Airport (IATA: BOG, ICAO: SKBO) is the main airport in Colombia, serving Bogotá, the capital, and its surrounding areas. It is located mostly in the Fontibón district of Bogotá, but it also extends into the Engativá district and the municipality of Funza in the Western Savanna Province of the Cundinamarca Department. El Dorado is the busiest airport in Latin America in terms of passenger traffic, serving 45,816,050 passengers in 2024. It is also Iberoamerica's most important cargo hub, with 760,000 metric tons of cargo passing through in 2022. It is the 32nd busiest airport in the world. Almost all foreign travellers who visit Colombia will pass through El Dorado, as it is the country's most important hub and where most international flights land and take off. The airport has plenty of services and facilities to make your time there productive and pleasant.

Tocumen International Airport, Panama City, Panama

There are 420 airports in South America, and Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Panama, is one of the top airports in the region. The airport is a massive connecting hub for Copa Airlines, which calls it the "Hub of the Americas". It serves flights to and from South, Central and North America, as well as Europe, and is served by multiple international airlines. Tocumen International Airport has two interconnected buildings: Terminal 1, the original terminal, and Terminal 2, the newer and more spacious facility. The airport is one of the few in the region with two landing runways able to serve the largest commercial aircraft operating today. It was inaugurated on 1 June 1947, by President Enrique Adolfo Jiménez, and airport operations began before the construction works were completed. The administrative building/passenger terminal was inaugurated seven years later, during the administration of Colonel José Antonio Remón Cantera. The old airport building, which is currently being used as a cargo terminal, was built on an area of 720 ha (1,800 acres) and was 126 ft (38 m) above sea level. Tocumen International Airport was managed by the Civil Aeronautics Directorate (known today as the Civil Aeronautics Authority) until 31 May 2003. On 1 June 2003, an innovative terminal management platform was created through Law No. 23 of 29 January 2003, which set out a regulatory framework for the management of airports and landing strips in Panama. This law allowed the creation of Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen, S.A., also referred to as Tocumen, S.A., which currently manages the terminal. This law is one of a number of laws that restructured the aeronautical sector in Panama to further its improvement and modernisation.

Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, Santiago, Chile

There are 420 airports in South America. One of these is Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, also known as Santiago International Airport, Nuevo Pudahuel Airport, and Santiago-Pudahuel Airport. It is Chile's largest aviation facility and busiest international airport, located 15km (9.3 miles) north-west of central Santiago. The airport has domestic and international services to destinations in Europe, Oceania, Africa (cargo only), Asia and the Americas. In 2011, it was the ninth busiest airport in Latin America and the sixth busiest in South America by passenger traffic. It was the seventh busiest airport in Latin America by aircraft movements, serving 124,799 operations. Its location in Chile's most populated area, as well as in the central part of the country, makes it an ideal main hub and maintenance centre for most local airlines such as LATAM and Sky Airline. The airport operates daily flights to Oceania, Europe and the American continent, being the main gateway in Latin America to Oceania. The route with the most departures is the route to Calama (CJC) with an average of 102 flights from Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport every week which is 8% of all weekly departures. The top international destinations from here are Lima (LIM) and Buenos Aires (AEP). The two longest flights are Santiago (SCL) to Sydney (SYD) that takes around 14 hours and 30 minutes and Santiago (SCL) to Melbourne (MEL) with a flight time of 14 hours and 30 minutes.

Jorge Chávez International Airport, Lima, Peru

There are 420 airports in South America, with São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport in Brazil being one of the largest by area.

Jorge Chávez International Airport (IATA: LIM, ICAO: SPJC, SPIM) is the main international airport serving Lima, the capital of Peru. It is located in Callao, 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) northwest of Lima Centre, the nation's capital city, and 17 kilometres (11 miles) from the district of Miraflores. The airport is named after Peruvian aviator Jorge Chávez (1887–1910). It is among the busiest and largest airports in South America, serving 22,876,785 passengers in 2023. It is the most important airport in Peru, with the highest national and international passenger traffic.

The airport was conceived in 1960 to replace the old Limatambo International Airport, which was located in the San Isidro District. The first international flight was carried out on 22 June 1960, and four months later, on 29 October 1960, President Manuel Prado Ugarteche inaugurated it with the name Lima International Airport. It was later renamed after Chávez.

Jorge Chávez International Airport is well-connected to North America in terms of international flights, even surpassing other South American airports that have a greater volume of passengers. It is also easily accessible from many Peruvian cities, including Cusco, Arequipa, Iquitos, Puerto Maldonado, Juliaca, Pucallpa, Tarapoto, Bogotá, Piura and Trujillo.

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