Carnaval week got off to a rocky start for corporate road-warriors on 15 February as São Paulo-Guarulhos (GRU), Brasília (BSB) and Rio de Janeiro-Galeão (GIG) grappled with 25 flight cancellations and 166 delays in a single day. Real-time data compiled by FlightAware and reported by Travel and Tour World show LATAM Brasil, GOL Linhas Aéreas and Azul at the epicentre of the disruption, with international operators such as Copa Airlines also feeling the knock-on effects.
At GRU—Brazil’s primary long-haul gateway—14 LATAM departures and six GOL flights were scrubbed outright, while dozens more left hours behind schedule. Congonhas, the São Paulo downtown airport favoured by day-trip business travellers, logged a further three cancellations and 26 delays. The operational crunch coincides with a seasonal surge in leisure traffic and tighter runway slots introduced last month to accommodate safety upgrades.
For mobility managers, the immediate priority is passenger care. Brazilian aviation rules require airlines to offer meals after one-hour delays and hotel accommodation after four, but enforcement is uneven. Companies should remind travelling staff to secure written proof of disruption at airline counters—vital when reclaiming costs or triggering duty-of-care protocols.
![Wave of cancellations and delays hits Brazil’s main air-travel hubs]()
In the midst of such turbulence, having visa and travel documentation sorted well in advance can remove at least one layer of stress. VisaHQ’s Brazil team (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) streamlines the application process for entry visas, work permits and other consular paperwork, offering real-time tracking and expert guidance that meshes seamlessly with corporate travel policies.
Strategically, the episode underlines rising congestion risk at Brazil’s big three hubs. International assignees connecting through GRU or BSB should build in longer minimum connection times, and firms may want to route sensitive trips via secondary gateways such as Campinas-Viracopos or Belo Horizonte-Confins when feasible.
Air-service reliability will remain under scrutiny this year as airlines ramp capacity for the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio next November. Infrastructure-upgrade works at Guarulhos are scheduled to continue through July, suggesting further punctuality challenges in the short term.
At GRU—Brazil’s primary long-haul gateway—14 LATAM departures and six GOL flights were scrubbed outright, while dozens more left hours behind schedule. Congonhas, the São Paulo downtown airport favoured by day-trip business travellers, logged a further three cancellations and 26 delays. The operational crunch coincides with a seasonal surge in leisure traffic and tighter runway slots introduced last month to accommodate safety upgrades.
For mobility managers, the immediate priority is passenger care. Brazilian aviation rules require airlines to offer meals after one-hour delays and hotel accommodation after four, but enforcement is uneven. Companies should remind travelling staff to secure written proof of disruption at airline counters—vital when reclaiming costs or triggering duty-of-care protocols.
In the midst of such turbulence, having visa and travel documentation sorted well in advance can remove at least one layer of stress. VisaHQ’s Brazil team (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) streamlines the application process for entry visas, work permits and other consular paperwork, offering real-time tracking and expert guidance that meshes seamlessly with corporate travel policies.
Strategically, the episode underlines rising congestion risk at Brazil’s big three hubs. International assignees connecting through GRU or BSB should build in longer minimum connection times, and firms may want to route sensitive trips via secondary gateways such as Campinas-Viracopos or Belo Horizonte-Confins when feasible.
Air-service reliability will remain under scrutiny this year as airlines ramp capacity for the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio next November. Infrastructure-upgrade works at Guarulhos are scheduled to continue through July, suggesting further punctuality challenges in the short term.
