São Paulo/Guarulhos Reopens Main Runway After Month-Long Works, Restoring International Capacity Ahead of Winter Peak

Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) in São Paulo quietly reopened its 3,700-metre Runway 10R/28L on 30 April 2026 after a 33-day closure for resurfacing and lighting upgrades. The work, carried out on schedule, had forced long-haul arrivals—including Emirates, Lufthansa and LATAM’s new Boston service—to share a single runway, triggering average delays of 25 minutes and multiple payload restrictions on fully booked cargo flights. The infrastructure overhaul is not just cosmetic. Airport operator GRU Airport replaced ageing asphalt with a polymer-enhanced surface designed to handle the heavier next-generation wide-bodies that will dominate the 2026-2027 winter timetable. A new LED centre-line lighting system was installed, and the Instrument Landing System was recalibrated to CAT III standards, giving the airport full low-visibility operations in time for São Paulo’s fog-prone June mornings. For airline network planners, the timing is ideal. IATA’s slot return deadline for the Northern Winter 26 season falls on 3 May, and carriers had warned that continued capacity constraints would force them to shift aircraft to competing hubs in Santiago or Buenos Aires. With both parallel runways now operational, GRU regains its declared capacity of 46 movements per hour, clearing the way for additional frequencies to Miami, Madrid and Johannesburg already filed in OAG. Business travellers will notice indirect benefits: fewer missed connections onto Brazil’s extensive domestic network and reduced risk of crew out-of-hours cancellations that bedevilled the Easter peak.



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Cargo shippers, particularly in the booming pharma-cold-chain segment, can again count on overnight freighters that rely on the longer runway’s weight-bearing strength. While the major works are complete, the airport says secondary taxiway resurfacing will continue overnight through July. Airlines have been advised to file NOTAM-based fuel planning buffers of five minutes but no slot reductions are expected. Travel managers should nonetheless monitor evening departure banks, when any ground-handling hiccups could cascade.