Sao Paulo's Airport Infrastructure: A Travel Hub?

is there airport on san paulo

São Paulo, Brazil's largest city and a world financial powerhouse, has two airports: Guarulhos and Congonhas. Guarulhos, also known as Cumbica, is the main international airport of São Paulo, located 16 miles (25km) from downtown São Paulo. Congonhas, on the other hand, is a domestic-only airport, located closer to the city centre.

Characteristics Values
Number of airports in São Paulo 4
Name of airports São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport, São Paulo–Congonhas Airport, Viracopos International Airport, São Paulo–Congonhas–Deputado Freitas Nobre Airport
Airport codes GRU, CGH, VCP, SBSP
Distance from downtown São Paulo 25 km (São Paulo/Guarulhos), relatively close (others)
Transport options Bus, taxi, train
Runway length Runway 10R/28L: 3,000 m, Runway 10L/28R: 3,700 m
Runway width Runway 10R/28L: 45 m, Runway 10L/28R: 60 m
Elevation 750 m above mean sea level

shunhotel

São Paulo has two airports: Guarulhos and Congonhas

São Paulo, Brazil, has two airports: Guarulhos and Congonhas. The former is also known as São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (IATA: GRU, ICAO: SBGR), and the latter is now a domestic-only airport.

Guarulhos Airport is the primary international airport serving São Paulo. It is the largest airport in Brazil and one of the largest in the world. It is located 25 kilometres (16 miles) from downtown São Paulo and has its own highway system. The airport has two or three terminals, depending on the source, and two runways. It is the busiest airport in Brazil in terms of transported passengers, aircraft operations, and cargo handled.

Congonhas Airport is owned by the City of São Paulo and operated by AENA. It is important to the city for regional and short-distance domestic flights. The airport's central hall is considered one of the most outstanding examples of modern architecture in São Paulo.

Both airports are relatively close to the city centre, and there are various transportation options available to get downtown, including train, bus, taxi, metro, or transfer services.

shunhotel

Guarulhos is the primary international airport in São Paulo

São Paulo, Brazil, is served by two airports: Guarulhos and Congonhas. Guarulhos is the primary international airport in São Paulo. It is also the largest airport in Brazil, South America, and one of the largest in the world. It is officially named the São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (IATA: GRU, ICAO: SBGR). The airport is commonly referred to as São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport or simply GRU Airport.

Guarulhos Airport is located 25 kilometres (16 miles) from downtown São Paulo. It has its own highway system, the Rodovia Hélio Smidt Highway, which connects to the Presidente Dutra and Ayrton Senna Highways. The airport is accessible by train (line 13) which takes about 45 minutes to reach the city centre. There are also red and blue buses that travel between the airport and the city centre, although the wait time between buses can be up to three hours.

The airport has three terminals, with Terminal 3 serving international flights and Terminal 2 primarily serving domestic flights. Terminal 1 is only used by Azul Airlines for domestic flights and is only accessible by car or bus. The terminals are connected and can be easily accessed on foot, with clear signs in both Portuguese and English.

Guarulhos Airport is the busiest airport in Brazil in terms of passenger traffic, aircraft operations, and cargo handled. In 2023, it was the second busiest airport in Latin America by passenger traffic, with 41,307,915 passengers. The airport has two parallel runways, with Runway 10R/28L mostly used for landings and Runway 10L/28R for takeoffs.

shunhotel

Congonhas is the older airport, serving mainly domestic routes

São Paulo has two airports: Guarulhos (GRU) and Congonhas (CGH). Congonhas is the older airport, having been open since at least 1941, and mainly serves domestic routes.

Congonhas Airport is owned by the City of São Paulo and is operated by AENA, who won a 30-year concession to operate the airport in 2022. Congonhas is located close to the city centre and is known for its modern architecture. It has slot restrictions, operating with a maximum of 30 operations per hour. Congonhas is an important hub for regional and short-distance domestic flights, which make up the greatest share of Brazil's domestic air traffic.

In 2007, an aircraft crash at Congonhas killed 199 people, leading to the airport's operations being scaled down. In 2008, Congonhas lost its designation as an international airport, and domestic operations faced further restrictions. Despite this, Congonhas continues to experience congestion due to the high volume of domestic flights serving São Paulo.

Guarulhos International Airport, on the other hand, is the primary international airport serving São Paulo. It is located 25km from downtown São Paulo and has its own highway system. The airport has three terminals, with Terminal 3 being the international terminal and Terminals 1 and 2 mostly serving domestic flights. Guarulhos is the busiest airport in Brazil in terms of passenger traffic, aircraft operations, and cargo handled, making it one of the fifty busiest airports in the world.

shunhotel

Guarulhos Airport has two runways

São Paulo has two airports: Guarulhos (GRU) and Congonhas (CGH). Guarulhos Airport has two runways. Runway 10R/28L is 3,000 metres (9,843 ft) long and 45 metres (148 ft) wide. Runway 10L/28R is 3,700 metres (12,140 ft) long and 60 metres (200 ft) wide. Runway 10R/28L is primarily used for landings, while runway 10L/28R is primarily used for takeoffs. Both runways feature high-speed exit taxiways to facilitate efficient aircraft movement during peak times.

The airport is located 25 kilometres (16 miles) from downtown São Paulo. It is the largest airport in Brazil and one of the largest in South America. It is also one of the fifty busiest airports in the world in terms of passenger traffic, with 41,307,915 passengers passing through in 2023. Guarulhos Airport is the primary international airport serving São Paulo, with Congonhas Airport handling domestic flights only.

The airport has three terminals, with Terminal 3 serving international flights and Terminal 2 serving domestic flights. Terminal 1 is exclusive to Azul Airlines for domestic flights and can only be accessed by car or bus. The airport offers a variety of transportation options, including train, bus, taxi, and car rental services. The quickest way to reach the city centre from the airport is by train (Line 13), which takes approximately 45 minutes.

shunhotel

Congonhas Airport is named after the neighbourhood where it is located

São Paulo, Brazil, has two airports: Guarulhos (GRU) and Congonhas (CGH). Congonhas Airport is named after the neighbourhood where it is located.

Congonhas Airport is located in the Congonhas neighbourhood of São Paulo. Congonhas is a domestic-only airport, whereas Guarulhos is internationally focused. Congonhas Airport is important to the city for regional and short-distance domestic flights. It is owned by the City of São Paulo and operated by AENA.

Congonhas Airport has faced congestion problems due to the high volume of passengers and flight operations. The airport has slot restrictions, allowing a maximum of 30 operations per hour. It is one of five airports in Brazil with such restrictions.

The airport's central hall is considered a notable example of modern architecture in São Paulo. Modernization and enlargement work has been carried out since 2003, while preserving the older, historic section. The main terminal now has 51,535 square metres of space.

Congonhas Airport previously operated international flights until the opening of Guarulhos Airport in 1985. In 2008, Congonhas lost its designation as an international airport following a tragic aircraft crash in 2007 that killed 199 people.

Frequently asked questions

There are two airports in San Paulo: Guarulhos and Congonhas.

Guarulhos Airport is the busiest airport in San Paulo. It is also the busiest airport in Brazil and Latin America, with over 37 million passengers a year.

Congonhas Airport is the closest to the city centre in San Paulo.

Written by
Reviewed by
Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment