Fresh traffic statistics released on 23 February 2026 show that São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) handled 47.2 million passengers in 2025, overtaking Bogotá and Mexico City to retake the top spot in Latin America. International throughput rose 14 % to an unprecedented 16.8 million travellers, a surge the concessionaire attributes to Brazil’s expanded e-Visa platform and new long-haul routes to Doha, Los Angeles and Johannesburg.
The figures come as GRU embarks on a R$ 2.55 billion (US $510 million) expansion programme with the Ministry of Ports and Airports. A new 14-gate pier attached to Terminal 3 will raise annual capacity by 11 million seats when it opens late next year, while a separate project will enlarge Terminal 2’s departure lounge by 1,600 m² and introduce 20 additional automated immigration e-gates. Airside, taxiway resurfacing and Category III ILS upgrades aim to reduce weather-related diversions during the 2026–27 southern-hemisphere winter.
![Record Passenger Numbers Help São Paulo-Guarulhos Reclaim Title of Latin America’s Busiest Airport]()
For organisations coordinating travel to Brazil, VisaHQ’s online visa and passport services can streamline the documentation process for both short-term business travellers and long-term assignees. The platform’s Brazil page (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) offers up-to-date e-Visa requirements, step-by-step application guidance and corporate account tools that reduce lead times and minimise compliance risks—particularly valuable as international volumes through GRU continue to climb.
For global mobility managers, the return of GRU to pole position underscores São Paulo’s role as the region’s primary hub for expatriate assignments and multinational head-office travel. Improved connectivity—particularly the forthcoming Airbus A350 service to Los Angeles—will shorten door-to-door transit times for North-America-based assignees by up to four hours compared with one-stop routings via Panama or Bogotá.
Companies should also note that GRU’s landside infrastructure is becoming a construction zone: from March, ride-hail pick-up points will be relocated 300 metres east of the existing curb, and security checkpoints for all international departures will be consolidated on the mezzanine level of Terminal 3. Travellers should plan for longer curb-to-gate times until works finish in Q4 2026.
The figures come as GRU embarks on a R$ 2.55 billion (US $510 million) expansion programme with the Ministry of Ports and Airports. A new 14-gate pier attached to Terminal 3 will raise annual capacity by 11 million seats when it opens late next year, while a separate project will enlarge Terminal 2’s departure lounge by 1,600 m² and introduce 20 additional automated immigration e-gates. Airside, taxiway resurfacing and Category III ILS upgrades aim to reduce weather-related diversions during the 2026–27 southern-hemisphere winter.
For organisations coordinating travel to Brazil, VisaHQ’s online visa and passport services can streamline the documentation process for both short-term business travellers and long-term assignees. The platform’s Brazil page (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) offers up-to-date e-Visa requirements, step-by-step application guidance and corporate account tools that reduce lead times and minimise compliance risks—particularly valuable as international volumes through GRU continue to climb.
For global mobility managers, the return of GRU to pole position underscores São Paulo’s role as the region’s primary hub for expatriate assignments and multinational head-office travel. Improved connectivity—particularly the forthcoming Airbus A350 service to Los Angeles—will shorten door-to-door transit times for North-America-based assignees by up to four hours compared with one-stop routings via Panama or Bogotá.
Companies should also note that GRU’s landside infrastructure is becoming a construction zone: from March, ride-hail pick-up points will be relocated 300 metres east of the existing curb, and security checkpoints for all international departures will be consolidated on the mezzanine level of Terminal 3. Travellers should plan for longer curb-to-gate times until works finish in Q4 2026.
