For the first time in its 15-year history, the Routes Americas air-service development forum is being held in Brazil, and the host—national tourism promotion agency Embratur—is wasting no time turning the spotlight onto air connectivity. Speaking on 4 March, president Marcelo Freixo told delegates in Rio de Janeiro that Brazil’s record 9.3 million international arrivals in 2025 were closely tied to a 34 per cent increase in overseas routes and a 37.5 per cent jump in seat capacity over the past three years.
During the three-day event (3-5 March) Embratur rolled out the Programme for the Acceleration of International Tourism (PATI), under which the agency co-invests with airlines and airports to launch or up-gauge services. A PATI pilot created 160,000 additional international seats in 2025; the goal for 2026 is eight million extra seats versus 2022 levels. Decision-makers from LATAM, Iberia, Air France–KLM and Emirates met one-on-one with state tourism boards to discuss new routes to secondary cities such as Recife, Natal and Manaus.
Whether you’re an airline executive scouting new markets or a traveler eager to book one of these upcoming flights, navigating visa requirements remains crucial. VisaHQ specializes in simplifying Brazilian visa applications, offering step-by-step guidance and real-time status updates to ensure a smooth journey—learn more at https://www.visahq.com/brazil/
![Embratur Uses Routes Americas in Rio to Court New International Flights After Record Tourist Surge]()
Freixo said the forum’s arrival in Rio underscores the city’s ambitions to reclaim hub status. Galeão Airport handled 2.19 million foreign passengers in 2025—its best result ever—and is bidding to host the 2027 World Expo. Federal incentives, including reduced aviation-fuel taxes and marketing grants, aim to make route launches commercially viable amid high interest rates and currency volatility.
For corporate travel managers, more non-stop links mean shorter door-to-door times and lower reliance on costly domestic connections. Embratur’s market-intelligence team is sharing heat-map data pinpointing demand clusters in technology, oil-and-gas and agribusiness corridors. The agency hopes that by matching airline network planners with provincial investment agencies it can fast-track services that support not just leisure but also MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) traffic.
Observers note that tighter EU emissions rules and rising SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) mandates could temper airline appetite. Embratur responded by highlighting Brazil’s bio-fuel potential and offering to co-finance SAF pilot programmes. The agency will publish a progress report six months after Routes Americas, detailing commitments secured and timelines for inaugural flights.
During the three-day event (3-5 March) Embratur rolled out the Programme for the Acceleration of International Tourism (PATI), under which the agency co-invests with airlines and airports to launch or up-gauge services. A PATI pilot created 160,000 additional international seats in 2025; the goal for 2026 is eight million extra seats versus 2022 levels. Decision-makers from LATAM, Iberia, Air France–KLM and Emirates met one-on-one with state tourism boards to discuss new routes to secondary cities such as Recife, Natal and Manaus.
Whether you’re an airline executive scouting new markets or a traveler eager to book one of these upcoming flights, navigating visa requirements remains crucial. VisaHQ specializes in simplifying Brazilian visa applications, offering step-by-step guidance and real-time status updates to ensure a smooth journey—learn more at https://www.visahq.com/brazil/
Freixo said the forum’s arrival in Rio underscores the city’s ambitions to reclaim hub status. Galeão Airport handled 2.19 million foreign passengers in 2025—its best result ever—and is bidding to host the 2027 World Expo. Federal incentives, including reduced aviation-fuel taxes and marketing grants, aim to make route launches commercially viable amid high interest rates and currency volatility.
For corporate travel managers, more non-stop links mean shorter door-to-door times and lower reliance on costly domestic connections. Embratur’s market-intelligence team is sharing heat-map data pinpointing demand clusters in technology, oil-and-gas and agribusiness corridors. The agency hopes that by matching airline network planners with provincial investment agencies it can fast-track services that support not just leisure but also MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) traffic.
Observers note that tighter EU emissions rules and rising SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) mandates could temper airline appetite. Embratur responded by highlighting Brazil’s bio-fuel potential and offering to co-finance SAF pilot programmes. The agency will publish a progress report six months after Routes Americas, detailing commitments secured and timelines for inaugural flights.
