Brazil’s civil-aviation regulator (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil – ANAC) has ordered São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) to stop requesting or allocating any additional flight frequencies until the airport operator resolves a list of air-side safety deficiencies.
The decision—announced on 26 January 2026 during a Jornal Hoje news segment—comes after a surprise inspection earlier this month found worn taxi-lane markings, inadequate apron lighting and several stand-guidance systems out of service. Investigators also flagged insufficient signage in two remote parking positions that had contributed to two minor wing-tip collisions in December.
ANAC’s technical report gives the concessionaire, GRU Airport, 60 days to repaint pavement markings, restore the lighting circuit on aprons 3 and 4 and recalibrate all visual docking-guidance systems. Until the agency signs off on the work, no new domestic or international slots will be authorised—effectively capping traffic at roughly 900 daily movements, the current high-season average.
![Brazil’s ANAC freezes new flight slots at São Paulo/Guarulhos until safety upgrades completed]()
For airlines this freezes planned capacity growth ahead of the southern-hemisphere winter schedule. Carriers that were hoping to up-gauge aircraft or add frequencies—particularly on the lucrative São Paulo–Miami and São Paulo–Lisbon trunk routes—will have to defer those plans or seek alternative airports such as Campinas (VCP) or Viracopos. Corporate travel managers should expect tighter seat inventory and potential fare pressure during peak travel weeks, especially the Easter and July school-holiday periods.
While schedules remain in flux, VisaHQ can at least take the uncertainty out of visa and entry requirements. Through its Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) the company offers step-by-step application support, real-time status tracking and expert guidance, helping travellers secure the correct documentation quickly even as they juggle potential re-routing or date changes prompted by the slot freeze.
Mobility teams relocating assignees should also budget extra connection time: ANAC will conduct spot audits during the remediation period, which can trigger temporary ground-delay programmes if inspectors need to enter movement areas. Travellers transiting between domestic and international terminals should allow at least a three-hour buffer until the restrictions are lifted.
In a statement, GRU Airport called the ruling “disproportionate” but said it is already mobilising contractors and expects to finish all corrective work well before the 60-day deadline. ANAC has indicated that once the deficiencies are closed it will reassess the slot freeze and, if satisfied, allow carriers to file for additional summer 2026 capacity.
The decision—announced on 26 January 2026 during a Jornal Hoje news segment—comes after a surprise inspection earlier this month found worn taxi-lane markings, inadequate apron lighting and several stand-guidance systems out of service. Investigators also flagged insufficient signage in two remote parking positions that had contributed to two minor wing-tip collisions in December.
ANAC’s technical report gives the concessionaire, GRU Airport, 60 days to repaint pavement markings, restore the lighting circuit on aprons 3 and 4 and recalibrate all visual docking-guidance systems. Until the agency signs off on the work, no new domestic or international slots will be authorised—effectively capping traffic at roughly 900 daily movements, the current high-season average.
For airlines this freezes planned capacity growth ahead of the southern-hemisphere winter schedule. Carriers that were hoping to up-gauge aircraft or add frequencies—particularly on the lucrative São Paulo–Miami and São Paulo–Lisbon trunk routes—will have to defer those plans or seek alternative airports such as Campinas (VCP) or Viracopos. Corporate travel managers should expect tighter seat inventory and potential fare pressure during peak travel weeks, especially the Easter and July school-holiday periods.
While schedules remain in flux, VisaHQ can at least take the uncertainty out of visa and entry requirements. Through its Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) the company offers step-by-step application support, real-time status tracking and expert guidance, helping travellers secure the correct documentation quickly even as they juggle potential re-routing or date changes prompted by the slot freeze.
Mobility teams relocating assignees should also budget extra connection time: ANAC will conduct spot audits during the remediation period, which can trigger temporary ground-delay programmes if inspectors need to enter movement areas. Travellers transiting between domestic and international terminals should allow at least a three-hour buffer until the restrictions are lifted.
In a statement, GRU Airport called the ruling “disproportionate” but said it is already mobilising contractors and expects to finish all corrective work well before the 60-day deadline. ANAC has indicated that once the deficiencies are closed it will reassess the slot freeze and, if satisfied, allow carriers to file for additional summer 2026 capacity.
