The Government of Brazil has authorized the operation of international flights at Congonhas Airport, located in the city of São Paulo. Currently, the airport is dedicated to domestic flights and is the second-busiest in the country in terms of passenger movement. The authorization was granted by the National Civil Aviation Secretariat (SAC) after analyzing the project presented by the airport's concessionaire, the Spanish company Aena, which plans a comprehensive expansion of the terminal to allow for international flight operations to begin in 2028, mainly to destinations in South America. "The project opens a huge opportunity to take a new leap in connectivity, economic development, and regional integration," stated the executive director of Congonhas Airport, Kleber Meira. The plan includes the construction of a new passenger terminal, expanding the number of boarding gates from 12 to 19, a new aircraft parking apron, airline hangars, and operational improvements. Due to the length of its runway—1,940 meters—Congonhas will be authorized for short and medium-haul international flights, but not for transoceanic routes. Currently, Brazil's main international airport is Guarulhos, located in a neighboring municipality to São Paulo, which has historically concentrated all international flights since it began operating in the 1980s. Aena took over the concession of the airport in October 2023 and projects increasing the annual passenger flow to 29 million by the end of the concession in 2053. In 2024, Congonhas registered over 23 million passengers and is currently authorized to handle up to 44 operations per hour.
