Thunderstorms over south-eastern Brazil combined with post-holiday crew shortages forced LATAM, GOL and Azul to cancel six high-profile flights on 6 January, including two Santos-Dumont–Congonhas shuttle rotations and long-haul services from São Paulo/Guarulhos to Miami and Amsterdam.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-09/br/storms-and-crew-shortages-cancel-key-flights-at-rio-so-paulo-and-international-routes/))
Cirium data show the cancellations yanked more than 1,000 premium-cabin seats from the market just as expatriates and trade-fair delegates were returning for the first full business week of 2026. KLM’s KL 792—one of only three daily non-stops to the Netherlands—was among the casualties, disrupting high-value pharma and tech cargo that relies on belly capacity.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-09/br/storms-and-crew-shortages-cancel-key-flights-at-rio-so-paulo-and-international-routes/))
![Storms and crew gaps force cancellation of flagship Brazil domestic and international flights]()
Travellers scrambling for alternative routings may suddenly need new transit visas or health declarations. VisaHQ’s dedicated Brazil page (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) streamlines those formalities—whether you’re rerouting through Bogotá, Santiago or a U.S. gateway—offering rapid e-visa processing and real-time updates that corporate travel teams can rely on when disruptions strike.
Airlines blamed a “perfect storm” of weather diversions, crew sick-leave spikes and knock-on effects from North American winter delays. They have retimed certain rotations and are offering fee-free rebooking, but travel-management companies expect business-class inventory to remain tight through next week.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-09/br/storms-and-crew-shortages-cancel-key-flights-at-rio-so-paulo-and-international-routes/))
Corporate mobility teams should advise travellers to build buffer days into itineraries, consider remote participation for early-January meetings, and—where cargo is concerned—explore dedicated freighters or routings via Santiago or Bogotá until schedules stabilise.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-09/br/storms-and-crew-shortages-cancel-key-flights-at-rio-so-paulo-and-international-routes/))
Cirium data show the cancellations yanked more than 1,000 premium-cabin seats from the market just as expatriates and trade-fair delegates were returning for the first full business week of 2026. KLM’s KL 792—one of only three daily non-stops to the Netherlands—was among the casualties, disrupting high-value pharma and tech cargo that relies on belly capacity.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-09/br/storms-and-crew-shortages-cancel-key-flights-at-rio-so-paulo-and-international-routes/))
Travellers scrambling for alternative routings may suddenly need new transit visas or health declarations. VisaHQ’s dedicated Brazil page (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) streamlines those formalities—whether you’re rerouting through Bogotá, Santiago or a U.S. gateway—offering rapid e-visa processing and real-time updates that corporate travel teams can rely on when disruptions strike.
Airlines blamed a “perfect storm” of weather diversions, crew sick-leave spikes and knock-on effects from North American winter delays. They have retimed certain rotations and are offering fee-free rebooking, but travel-management companies expect business-class inventory to remain tight through next week.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-09/br/storms-and-crew-shortages-cancel-key-flights-at-rio-so-paulo-and-international-routes/))
Corporate mobility teams should advise travellers to build buffer days into itineraries, consider remote participation for early-January meetings, and—where cargo is concerned—explore dedicated freighters or routings via Santiago or Bogotá until schedules stabilise.([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-09/br/storms-and-crew-shortages-cancel-key-flights-at-rio-so-paulo-and-international-routes/))
