A combination of dense morning fog, late-season thunderstorms and a brief air-traffic-control ground stop caused cascading delays across Brazil’s two busiest hubs—São Paulo/Guarulhos (GRU) and Belo Horizonte/Confins (CNF)—on 27 February. By midday, operations-tracking portal FlightStats logged 141 delayed departures and eight cancellations involving Gol, LATAM, Azul, Air France and several regional carriers. (traveltrade.today)
The knock-on effects rippled through Rio de Janeiro/Galeão and Salvador, stranding hundreds of passengers in overcrowded terminals. Airlines faced bottlenecks rebooking travellers because many domestic sectors were already near capacity following the post-Carnaval surge. Airport hotels reported occupancy spikes of 30 – 40 %, forcing carriers to issue meal vouchers when rooms ran out—a reminder of limited buffer inventory in Brazil’s busiest corridors.
Corporate travel managers reported that same-day connections to secondary cities such as Vitória and Curitiba were hardest hit, jeopardising client meetings and site visits. Several multinationals activated *out-of-policy* approvals for charter cars or overnight rail to keep critical personnel on schedule. Mobility teams also warned employees that re-routing through Brasília or Porto Alegre could trigger fare increases exceeding R$1,200 per ticket under dynamic-pricing rules.
![Severe Weather Triggers 141 Flight Delays at Guarulhos and Confins, Disrupting Business Travel Itineraries]()
During days like these, the last thing travellers need is confusion over entry paperwork. VisaHQ’s Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) helps passengers and corporate mobility teams confirm visa requirements, process applications online and receive status alerts, so schedule disruptions don’t turn into immigration headaches.
Infrastructure analysts say the incident underscores the need for better low-visibility procedures at Guarulhos, which still lacks a Category III ILS on its secondary runway. ANAC is reviewing an airport-sponsored proposal to install the system by early 2027, but funding has yet to be finalised.
For the moment, companies are advising travellers to add at least four hours of buffer time for same-day connections through GRU and CNF during the Southern Hemisphere summer storm season, and to ensure mobile expense apps accept digital receipts for hotel alternatives.
The knock-on effects rippled through Rio de Janeiro/Galeão and Salvador, stranding hundreds of passengers in overcrowded terminals. Airlines faced bottlenecks rebooking travellers because many domestic sectors were already near capacity following the post-Carnaval surge. Airport hotels reported occupancy spikes of 30 – 40 %, forcing carriers to issue meal vouchers when rooms ran out—a reminder of limited buffer inventory in Brazil’s busiest corridors.
Corporate travel managers reported that same-day connections to secondary cities such as Vitória and Curitiba were hardest hit, jeopardising client meetings and site visits. Several multinationals activated *out-of-policy* approvals for charter cars or overnight rail to keep critical personnel on schedule. Mobility teams also warned employees that re-routing through Brasília or Porto Alegre could trigger fare increases exceeding R$1,200 per ticket under dynamic-pricing rules.
During days like these, the last thing travellers need is confusion over entry paperwork. VisaHQ’s Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) helps passengers and corporate mobility teams confirm visa requirements, process applications online and receive status alerts, so schedule disruptions don’t turn into immigration headaches.
Infrastructure analysts say the incident underscores the need for better low-visibility procedures at Guarulhos, which still lacks a Category III ILS on its secondary runway. ANAC is reviewing an airport-sponsored proposal to install the system by early 2027, but funding has yet to be finalised.
For the moment, companies are advising travellers to add at least four hours of buffer time for same-day connections through GRU and CNF during the Southern Hemisphere summer storm season, and to ensure mobile expense apps accept digital receipts for hotel alternatives.
