Brazil’s Ministry of Portos e Aeroportos confirmed on 24 November that the country’s airports handled 106.8 million travellers between January and October 2025—one full month sooner than the milestone was reached in 2024. Records were set in both the domestic (9 million) and international (2.3 million) segments for October alone, reflecting a 9 % year-on-year jump.
Officials credit the surge to a combination of factors: the reinstatement of key long-haul routes, aggressive capacity growth by Azul, Gol and LATAM on trunk corridors, and government incentives that lowered airport fees at regional terminals. São Paulo/Guarulhos led all hubs with 38.2 million passengers, followed by Congonhas (19.7 m) and Galeão (14.2 m).
![Brazil surpasses 100 million air passengers before year-end for the first time]()
For corporate mobility managers the figures signal tighter seat inventory during peak dates and a likely continuation of upward fare pressure, especially on key business markets such as São Paulo–Brasília and São Paulo–Miami. Employers that rotate staff in oil & gas, agribusiness and IT projects should review advance-purchase policies and secure blocks early for Q1 2026 travel.
The ministry also forecast that international visitor arrivals will hit a record 8 million by 31 December, buoyed by the COP 30 climate summit in Belém next November and the return of North-American leisure demand despite Brazil’s restored e-visa requirement. Travel-related suppliers—from relocation firms to serviced-apartment operators—are already scaling capacity in Rio and São Paulo in anticipation of the influx.
In practical terms, greater throughput means longer queues at passport control and security in major gateways. The Federal Police says it will add 350 temporary officers at Guarulhos and Congonhas over the Christmas–New-Year peak, but still urges travellers to arrive at least three hours ahead of international departures. Frequent-traveller biometrics lanes (Embarque +Seguro) remain limited to six airports and are operating near capacity.
Officials credit the surge to a combination of factors: the reinstatement of key long-haul routes, aggressive capacity growth by Azul, Gol and LATAM on trunk corridors, and government incentives that lowered airport fees at regional terminals. São Paulo/Guarulhos led all hubs with 38.2 million passengers, followed by Congonhas (19.7 m) and Galeão (14.2 m).
For corporate mobility managers the figures signal tighter seat inventory during peak dates and a likely continuation of upward fare pressure, especially on key business markets such as São Paulo–Brasília and São Paulo–Miami. Employers that rotate staff in oil & gas, agribusiness and IT projects should review advance-purchase policies and secure blocks early for Q1 2026 travel.
The ministry also forecast that international visitor arrivals will hit a record 8 million by 31 December, buoyed by the COP 30 climate summit in Belém next November and the return of North-American leisure demand despite Brazil’s restored e-visa requirement. Travel-related suppliers—from relocation firms to serviced-apartment operators—are already scaling capacity in Rio and São Paulo in anticipation of the influx.
In practical terms, greater throughput means longer queues at passport control and security in major gateways. The Federal Police says it will add 350 temporary officers at Guarulhos and Congonhas over the Christmas–New-Year peak, but still urges travellers to arrive at least three hours ahead of international departures. Frequent-traveller biometrics lanes (Embarque +Seguro) remain limited to six airports and are operating near capacity.
