São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport
Primary airport serving São Paulo, Brazil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (IATA: GRU, ICAO: SBGR), commonly known as São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport, is the primary international airport serving São Paulo, located in the municipality of Guarulhos, in the state of São Paulo. It is the largest airport in Brazil and Latin America, and one of the 50 busiest in the world by passenger traffic.[5][6] It is popularly known locally as either Cumbica Airport, after the district where it is located and the Brazilian Air Force base that exists at the Guarulhos Airport, after the municipality where it is located. Since 28 November 2001, the airport has been named after André Franco Montoro (1916–1999), former Governor of São Paulo state.[7] The airport was rebranded as GRU Airport in 2012.[8]
- Infraero (1985–2012)
- GRU Airport (2012–present)
São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport Aeroporto Internacional de São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public / Military | ||||||||||||||
| Operator |
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| Serves | São Paulo | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Guarulhos, Brazil | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | 20 January 1985 | ||||||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||||||
Focus city for | Azul Brazilian Airlines | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | BRT (UTC−03:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 750 m (2,460 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 23°26′08″S 46°28′23″W | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||
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 DECEA airport chart | |||||||||||||||
  GRU Location in São Paulo State  GRU Location in Brazil  GRU Location in South America | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2025) | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics: GRU Airport[1] Sources: Airport website,[2] ANAC,[3] DECEA[4] | |||||||||||||||
The airport is the busiest in Brazil in terms of transported passengers, aircraft operations, and cargo handled.[9][10][11] Guarulhos has slot restrictions, operating with a maximum of 45 operations/hour[12] and being one of the five airports with such restrictions in Brazil (the others are São Paulo-Congonhas, Brasília, Belo Horizonte-Pampulha and Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont).[13]
Since 2012, the airport has been operated by a consortium composed of Invepar S/A, Airports Company South Africa, and Infraero.[14] Some of its facilities are shared with the São Paulo Air Force Base of the Brazilian Air Force.
In 2017, it was considered by the company OAG the second best in punctuality in the world and first in Latin America, a position above that achieved in the previous year.[5] In 2019 the airport achieved the same position in a survey carried out by FlightStats.[15] In 2021, it was chosen by the Club Med study as one of the 35 best in the world for long layovers.[16] In a survey carried out by Cirium Aviation, it reached first position among the most punctual large airports in the world and second place in the "Global" category in 2024;[17] that same year, São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport was named one of the best airports in the world by AirHelp.[18]
History
In 2010, the airport served more than 26.8 million passengers, an increase of 24% over 2009 and passenger volumes were 31% in excess of its capacity rated at 20.5 million per year at its present configuration.[19]
In order to relieve the acute overcrowding at the Terminals 1 and 2, Infraero announced on 17 May 2011 that the former cargo terminals of the defunct airlines VASP and Transbrasil, later used by Federal Agencies, would undergo renovations and adaptations for use as domestic passenger terminals with remote boarding. This new terminal was initially called Terminal 4 (T4).[20] The first phase of the renovations, comprising the former VASP terminal, opened on 8 February 2012,[21][22] and the second phase, comprising the former Transbrasil terminal, was opened in June 2013. Contrary to what had been announced before, the new terminal will be permanent. Webjet was the first airline to use the new facility.[23] The new terminal, in its first phase, increased the capacity of the airport in 5.5 million passengers/year and, in the second phase to 8 million passengers/year. In total, Guarulhos would then be able to handle 28.5 million passengers/year.[24]
Responding to critiques to the situation of its airports, on 18 May 2011, Infraero released a list evaluating some of its most important airports according to its saturation levels. According to the list, Guarulhos was considered to be critically saturated, operating above 85% of its capacity.[25]
Following a decision made on 26 April 2011 by the Federal Government for private companies being granted concessions to explore some Infraero airports,[26] on 6 February 2012, the administration of the airport was conceded, for 20 years, to the Consortium Invepar–ACSA, also known as GRU Airport, composed by the Brazilian Invepar, an Investments and Funds Society (90%) and the South African ACSA–Airports Company South Africa (10%).[27] Infraero, the state-run organisation, remains with 49% of the shares of the company incorporated for the administration.[28][29]
On 2 December 2015, the airport's terminals were renumbered. The former Terminal 4 was renumbered Terminal 1; the former terminals 1 and 2, which were wings of a single building, became the new Terminal 2. The Terminal 3 kept its numbering. The new numbering reflects the order by which terminals are reached when one arrives at the airport by the access road, and is expected to be less confusing in the long term. Check-in counters and gates were also renumbered, with the first digit being now the new terminal number.[30]
On 28 October 2015, the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (Anac) authorised Airbus A380 operations at Guarulhos Airport, effective four days later. The authorisation was granted after extensive works were conducted on the runways and taxiways (including widening runway 09L/27R to 60 metres (196 ft 10 in))[31] and special taxiing procedures were established.[32] On 14 November 2015, Emirates operated a one-time special flight with the A380 on its Dubai-São Paulo route to commemorate its eight years of operations in Brazil.[33] On 26 March 2017, Emirates started daily A380 service from Dubai to São Paulo, replacing the Boeing 777-300ER previously used on that route – coincidentally, on the same day that the other UAE airline, Etihad, ended its services to São Paulo.[34]
Facilities
Runways and taxiways
GRU has two parallel runways. Runway 10R/28L is 3,000 metres (9,843 ft) long and 45 metres (148 ft) wide, while runway 10L/28R is 3,700 metres (12,140 ft) long and 60 metres (200 ft) wide, after being widened in 2015 to better receive the Airbus A380.[35][31] The field elevation at the airport is 750 metres (2,459 ft) above mean sea level.[36] Runway 10R/28L is mostly used for landings and runway 10L/28R for takeoffs. There are high-speed exit taxiways on both runways that allow for traffic to depart the runway at higher speed to allow better efficiency for landing and takeoff traffic. As of 2014, there was an average of 650 takeoff and landing operations per day at the airport.[37]
Terminals
The airport has four passenger terminals, numbered 1, 2, and 3, according to their order along the airport access road when arriving from the city, plus a VIP terminal.[citation needed]
- Terminal 1 is the smallest and simplest. It handles only domestic flights and, as of January 2020, it is used only by Azul Brazilian Airlines. Terminal 1 has no jet bridges and no direct access to the other terminals, which can only be reached by a free shuttle bus.
- Terminal 2 is the oldest and largest, and for many years was the only airport terminal. It handles the majority of domestic flights and a few international flights. The terminal is undergoing a retrofit process in internal and external areas to modernize the facilities and to improve the user experience. This terminal is divided into two boarding piers:
- West Pier
- The West Pier has sixteen jet bridges and it is used only by domestic flights.
- East Pier
- The East Pier has thirteen jet bridges and it is used by domestic and international flights.
- Terminal 3 is the newest and most modern. It operates only international flights and concentrates most long-haul intercontinental traffic, in addition to LATAM Group's Latin American flights. It comprises a pier with twenty-two gates with jetways. Five of them can accommodate the Airbus A380.[32]
- T3B Pier is a new pier being built to expand Terminal 3, with 14 jet bridges and three remote positions. Its completion is scheduled for the end of 2026.
According to information released by the authorities that manage the airport, after the inauguration of pier T3B, the east pier will be converted 100% for domestic flights, and a new domestic pier with ten boarding bridges, called T2L, will also be built after the west pier, with an expected opening in 2029.[citation needed]
Terminals 2 and 3 are directly linked by a walkway.[30]
The airport also has a large air cargo terminal with a built area of 97,000 square metres (1,040,000 sq ft) and capable of handling any type of cargo, including refrigerated and hazardous shipments.[38]
Navigational aids
There are two navigational aids that GRU traffic uses. The Bonsucesso very high frequency omnidirectional range with distance measuring equipment (VOR-DME) is located 9.1 kilometres; 5.6 miles (4.9 nmi) to the east of GRU.[35]
Developments
In 2009 Infraero unveiled a R$ 1,489.5 million (US$784.7 USD million; €549.8 EUR million) investment plan to upgrade Guarulhos International Airport, focusing on preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics in 2016. The investment was supposed to be used as follows:[39]
- Construction of additional taxiways. Cost: R$ 19M. Completion: April 2016.
- Enlargement of apron and taxiways. Cost: R$370,5M. Completion: May 2016.
- Construction of passenger Terminal 3. Cost: R$1,100M. Completed: March 2014. Opened for Star Alliance airlines in May.
Central to this investment plan was Terminal 3, which is projected to add 12 million passenger capacity to the 17 million of the existing two terminals. Plans for a third runway were decided to be "technically impracticable" and were cancelled in January 2008.[citation needed]
However, the former concessionary, Infraero, experienced many legal and bureaucratic difficulties, which prevented most (if any) of these improvements from being completed on schedule. As of April 2013, the new concessionary unveiled a new expansion project, which included the new Terminal 3 (with a different design than the one proposed by Infraero), the widening of the main runway in order to enable operations by the large Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8, operated by Emirates and Lufthansa respectively, and several other improvements in the existing terminals and parking area.[citation needed]
The Terminal 3 is open and all Star Alliance airlines are in, as well as many other overseas carriers. International flights by LATAM also use the facility.[citation needed]
A train service development and construction has also been planned, however never concluded and cancelled. This included an Airport Express Line linking the airport to downtown São Paulo and a Rio–São Paulo high-speed rail connecting Guarulhos to Rio de Janeiro-Galeão and Campinas-Viracopos airports.[40]
Since March 2017 American Airlines invested US$ 100 million on a 17,000 m2 (180,000 sq ft) maintenance hangar at Guarulhos Airport, building together with the LATAM Hangar of R$ 130 million.[41] The American Airlines one is capable of performing line maintenance on two wide-body aircraft at the same time, of the types commonly used by the U.S. company on routes between São Paulo and the United States and the LATAM one is capable of performing line maintenance of one wide-body aircraft. It could also be used by other companies as storage for parts. The same conditions applies to the LATAM maintenance center.[42]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Statistics
Following are the number of passenger, aircraft and cargo movements at the airport, according to Infraero (2007-2012) and GRU Airport (2013-2025) reports:[177][178][179][1]
| Year | Passenger | Aircraft | Cargo (t) |
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| 2025 | 47,188,085  8% | 305,188 6% | |
| 2024 | 43,580,962 6% | 288,063 5% | |
| 2023 | 41,307,915 20% | 274,917 13% | |
| 2022 | 34,480,706 43% | 242,881 29% | |
| 2021 | 24,170,612 19% | 188,573 21% | |
| 2020 | 20,322,520  53% | 155,912 47% | |
| 2019 | 43,002,119 2% | 291,987  | |
| 2018 | 42,230,309 12% | 293,084 10% | |
| 2017 | 37,765,898 3% | 266,016 1% | |
| 2016 | 36,606,363 6% | 268,139 43% | |
| 2015 | 38,983,779 1% | 296,618 3% | |
| 2014 | 39,539,992 10% | 306,050 8% | |
| 2013 | 35,962,128 10% | 284,184 4% | |
| 2012 | 32,777,330 9% | 273,884 1% | 474,190 7% |
| 2011 | 30,003,428 12% | 270,600 8% | 511,484 19% |
| 2010 | 26,849,185 24% | 250,493 19% | 430,850 13% |
| 2009 | 21,727,649 7% | 209,636 8% | 382,723 19% |
| 2008 | 20,400,304 9% | 194,184 3% | 475,209 3% |
| 2007 | 18,795,596 | 187,960 | 488,485 |
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | Change 2023 / 24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Santiago de Chile | 1,499,136 | 32,59% |
| 2. | Buenos Aires–Aeroparque | 1,109,987 | 13,58% |
| 3. | Miami | 869,266 | 10,84% |
| 4. | Lisbon | 850,619 | 18,37% |
| 5. | Madrid | 833,720 | 26,31% |
| 6. | Paris–Charles de Gaulle | 602,214 | 4,37% |
| 7. | Panama | 562,077 | 1,3% |
| 8. | Bogotá | 546,416 | 17,22% |
| 9. | New York | 527,486 | 0,67% |
| 10. | Lima | 526,131 | 38,19% |
| 11. | Rome | 521,018 | 48,69% |
| 12. | Frankfurt | 504,597 | 0,03% |
| 13. | London | 501,357 | 4,62% |
| 14. | Buenos Aires–Ezeiza | 410,546 | 12,88% |
| 15. | Montevideo | 397,025 | 2,98% |
| 16. | Doha | 391,330 | 4,54% |
| 17. | Atlanta | 353,162 | 15,34% |
| 18. | Dubai | 297,923 | 10,27% |
| 19. | Mexico City | 297,847 | 9,33% |
| 20. | Asunción | 263,927 | 15,56% |
Accidents and incidents
- On 28 January 1986, a VASP Boeing 737-2A1 registered PP-SME flying from Guarulhos to Belo Horizonte unknowingly tried to take-off from Guarulhos, during foggy conditions, from a taxiway. The take-off was aborted, but the aircraft overran, collided with a dyke and broke in two. One passenger died.[181]
- On 21 March 1989, a Transbrasil Cargo Boeing 707-349C registered PT-TCS operating Flight 801, flying from Manaus to São Paulo-Guarulhos, crashed at the district of Vila Barros in Guarulhos, shortly before touch-down at runway 09R. That day, at 12:00, the runway was going to be closed for maintenance and the crew decided to speed up procedures to touch-down before closure (it was already 11:54). In a hurry, one of the crew members, by mistake, activated the air-dynamic brakes, and the aircraft lost too much speed to have enough aerodynamic support (resulting in a stall). As a consequence the aircraft crashed approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the airport. There were 25 fatalities, of which three were crew members and 22 were civilians on the ground. As well as the 22 fatalities, there were over 200 injured on the ground.[182]
- On 2 March 1996, a Madrid Táxi Aéreo Gates Learjet 25D registered PT-LSD transporting the Brazilian band Mamonas Assassinas crashed into Cantareira mountain range, located north of the airport, at 23:16 local time killing all 9 passengers on board including the band themselves. The aircraft was returning home after attended a show in Brasília, it was on final approach to land on the runway 09R, but went around. As it flew toward the runway for a second attempt to land, the ATC instructed the pilots to make a right turn heading south, but they turned north (left) and crashed into the mountain range at 3,300 feet (1,000 m), 10.0 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the airport. Ironically, all band members were from a Guarulhos neighborhood located close to the airport.[citation needed]
- On 14 September 2002, a Total Linhas Aéreas ATR42-312 registered PT-MTS on a cargo flight between São Paulo-Guarulhos and Londrina crashed while en route near Paranapanema. The crew of 2 died.[183]
- 9 November 2024: Total Linhas Aéreas Flight 5682, a Boeing 737-400SF registered as PS-TLB, flying from Eurico de Aguiar Salles Airport in Vitória, made an emergency landing at the airport, with a fire in the cargo hold. Shortly after landing, the fire spread rapidly to the rear section. The pilots evacuated quickly and there were no injuries. The aircraft was a total loss due to the severe fire.[citation needed]
Ground transport
The airport is located 25 km (16 mi) from downtown São Paulo.
Train
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The airport is adjacent to Aeroporto-Guarulhos, a station on Line 13-Jade, operated by CPTM. This line started its operations on 31 March 2018.[184] That makes São Paulo's São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) the first among major South American airport hubs (such as Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Santiago de Chile, Lima, Bogotá, and Rio de Janeiro-Galeão) to have a direct railway connection.[185][186][187][188][189][190]
Since December 2020, an Airport Express service, from Luz station to Aeroporto-Guarulhos, departs from each terminus every hour. It attends only one station towards Aeroporto-Guarulhos (Guarulhos-CECAP station), and 2 stations towards Luz (Guarulhos-CECAP and Brás).[191] Since September 2023, the Airport Express was extended to Palmeiras-Barra Funda.[192]
Aeroporto-Guarulhos station is located near Terminal 1, the smallest and least busy of Guarulhos Airport's terminals. Passengers can access Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 via the free GRU Airport People Mover.[193]
Bus
Bus transportation is available through the Airport Bus Service, an executive bus line, administered by EMTU and operated by Consórcio Internorte – Área 3. This service provides transportation connecting Guarulhos to Congonhas airport; to Tietê Bus Terminal; to Palmeiras-Barra Funda Intermodal Terminal, to Faria Lima Ave; To Republica Square (Praça da República); To Berrini Ave., Itaim Bibi district; and to the circuit of hotels along Paulista Avenue and Rua Augusta. The ride takes about one hour, depending on traffic.[194] At the airport, tickets can be purchased at the counter located outside the lounge of the Terminal 1, Wing B's arrivals level.[citation needed]
Pássaro Marron/EMTU, a syndicate of the Internorte Consortium, offers two regular bus lines, 257 and 299, connecting Tatuapé subway station (Line 3-Red) with Guarulhos Airport every 30 minutes. At Tatuapé, both buses can be picked up on a platform of that multimodal station's North side bus terminal. At the airport, the stop for both buses is at the Arrivals level road connecting the wings of Terminal 2.[citation needed]
Gol Airlines and LATAM offer for their passengers free bus transfers between Guarulhos and Congonhas airports at regular times.[195][196]
Viação Cometa offers daily departures to and from the airport and the cities of Santos, Sorocaba, São Vicente, and Praia Grande.[197] Lirabus operates daily buses between the airport and Campinas. Pássaro Marron offers bus services to São José dos Campos with departures every two hours. Viação Transdutra connects the airport with the city of Arujá.[citation needed]
Car
The airport has its own highway system: The Rodovia Hélio Smidt Highway which connects the airport to the Presidente Dutra Highway or the Ayrton Senna Highway. Residents of Guarulhos can access the road via Monteiro Lobato Avenue.[citation needed]
