Operations at São Paulo’s city-centre Congonhas Airport (CGH) returned to near-normal on 1 December after two days of torrential rain forced 115 flight cancellations and scores of diversions. The storm cells, which swept across the southeast on 28-29 November, reduced runway friction below operating minima and triggered go-arounds that quickly cascaded into crew-duty-time limits.
Concessionaire Aena Brasil bussed stranded passengers 85 km to Campinas/Viracopos (VCP) for re-accommodation and arranged additional taxi stands to alleviate a shortage of airside hotel rooms. Business travellers – many rushing to end-of-month closings in Rio – complained of inconsistent information across airline apps, CGH’s website and social media feeds.
![Congonhas Airport recovers after 115 weather cancellations, highlights need for CAT III upgrade]()
Aena says it will accelerate installation of a CAT III Instrument Landing System, now slated for March 2026, to permit lower-visibility operations. The concessionaire is also reviewing its crisis-communications plan. For mobility managers, the incident underscores Congonhas’ single-runway vulnerability: once backlogs build, recovery options are limited. Experts recommend booking flexible fares or adding a buffer night when mission-critical meetings depend on CGH arrivals during the December–February thunderstorm season.
While the immediate disruption is over, analysts warn that climate-driven rainfall volatility could make such episodes more frequent. Corporates should map alternative airports and ensure ground-transport contracts can pivot quickly in response to diversions.
Brazil’s civil-aviation regulator ANAC is monitoring the situation but has not yet indicated whether additional weather-operations standards will be imposed industry-wide.
Concessionaire Aena Brasil bussed stranded passengers 85 km to Campinas/Viracopos (VCP) for re-accommodation and arranged additional taxi stands to alleviate a shortage of airside hotel rooms. Business travellers – many rushing to end-of-month closings in Rio – complained of inconsistent information across airline apps, CGH’s website and social media feeds.
Aena says it will accelerate installation of a CAT III Instrument Landing System, now slated for March 2026, to permit lower-visibility operations. The concessionaire is also reviewing its crisis-communications plan. For mobility managers, the incident underscores Congonhas’ single-runway vulnerability: once backlogs build, recovery options are limited. Experts recommend booking flexible fares or adding a buffer night when mission-critical meetings depend on CGH arrivals during the December–February thunderstorm season.
While the immediate disruption is over, analysts warn that climate-driven rainfall volatility could make such episodes more frequent. Corporates should map alternative airports and ensure ground-transport contracts can pivot quickly in response to diversions.
Brazil’s civil-aviation regulator ANAC is monitoring the situation but has not yet indicated whether additional weather-operations standards will be imposed industry-wide.
