With passenger volumes expected to surge by up to 15 percent over the Christmas and New-Year period, Brazil’s Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor), the civil-aviation regulator ANAC, airport-operator group ABR and the airline association ABEAR kicked off “Operação Fim de Ano” on 19 December. The multi-agency campaign runs through 5 January 2026 and covers 15 of the country’s busiest airports, including São Paulo/Guarulhos, Brasília, Rio de Janeiro/Galeão, Recife and Salvador.
More than 200 additional ANAC inspectors and airport-operations staff have been deployed to monitor check-in, security and baggage-handling processes in real time. Airlines have agreed to pre-position spare aircraft and crew, provide live information on delays via WhatsApp and respect ANAC Resolution 400 on passenger assistance in the event of cancellations. A dedicated dashboard in the ministry’s war-room collates data on on-time performance, security incidents and complaints filed with consumer-protection agency Procon.
While the campaign focuses on airport operations, travellers should also ensure their documentation is in order before departure. VisaHQ’s platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) can arrange Brazilian visas and other travel documents online, giving companies a single dashboard to monitor application status and receive alerts—an extra layer of certainty when peak-season flights leave little room for error.
![Brazil Launches ‘Operação Fim de Ano’ to Keep Airports Running Smoothly Through the Holidays]()
For corporate travel programmes the campaign offers both benefits and obligations. On the plus side, the reinforced staffing should reduce queue times and give companies a single point of contact for disruption management. On the compliance side, employers should remind travelling staff that ANAC inspectors have been instructed to issue on-the-spot fines for hand-luggage violations and improper lithium-battery transport.
Mobility advisers are recommending that travellers:
• arrive at least three hours before international departures;
• download airline and airport apps for push notifications; and
• keep boarding passes and receipts, which are needed to claim compensation if delays exceed the thresholds in Resolution 400.
Given that 2025 is on track to become Brazil’s busiest aviation year on record, Operação Fim de Ano is also a rehearsal for further regulatory tightening expected before Carnival 2026, when traffic will again spike.
More than 200 additional ANAC inspectors and airport-operations staff have been deployed to monitor check-in, security and baggage-handling processes in real time. Airlines have agreed to pre-position spare aircraft and crew, provide live information on delays via WhatsApp and respect ANAC Resolution 400 on passenger assistance in the event of cancellations. A dedicated dashboard in the ministry’s war-room collates data on on-time performance, security incidents and complaints filed with consumer-protection agency Procon.
While the campaign focuses on airport operations, travellers should also ensure their documentation is in order before departure. VisaHQ’s platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) can arrange Brazilian visas and other travel documents online, giving companies a single dashboard to monitor application status and receive alerts—an extra layer of certainty when peak-season flights leave little room for error.
For corporate travel programmes the campaign offers both benefits and obligations. On the plus side, the reinforced staffing should reduce queue times and give companies a single point of contact for disruption management. On the compliance side, employers should remind travelling staff that ANAC inspectors have been instructed to issue on-the-spot fines for hand-luggage violations and improper lithium-battery transport.
Mobility advisers are recommending that travellers:
• arrive at least three hours before international departures;
• download airline and airport apps for push notifications; and
• keep boarding passes and receipts, which are needed to claim compensation if delays exceed the thresholds in Resolution 400.
Given that 2025 is on track to become Brazil’s busiest aviation year on record, Operação Fim de Ano is also a rehearsal for further regulatory tightening expected before Carnival 2026, when traffic will again spike.
