São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) quietly returned to two-runway operations on 3 May after a five-week resurfacing project that had reduced capacity by roughly one-third. The concessionaire GRU Airport confirmed on 4 May that the work finished on schedule: the secondary runway had handled all movements since 29 March, forcing airlines to retime flights, up-gauge aircraft and, in some cases, shift operations to Congonhas and Viracopos. During the single-runway period, hourly movements fell from 60 to about 40, creating bottlenecks for wide-body departures to Europe, the United States and the Middle East. Carriers report average delays of 25 minutes and a 4-point drop in on-time performance for April.
![Guarulhos reopens main runway, restoring full capacity at Brazil’s busiest airport]()
For travellers arranging last-minute trips to São Paulo, obtaining the correct visa can be as time-sensitive as securing an arrival slot. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) streamlines Brazil visa applications with step-by-step guidance and real-time status updates, giving mobility teams one less variable to worry about while operations at GRU normalise.
With both runways available again, slot coordination has returned to normal and airlines are reinstating frequencies cut during the works. LATAM has restored its second daily Miami rotation, Lufthansa reinstated its Frankfurt flight to a pre-dawn departure, and Emirates has reverted its DXB–GRU timing to the late-evening bank. For business travellers the reopening eliminates the need for improvised re-routing via Rio de Janeiro or Brasília, saving connection time and hotel costs. Mobility teams should verify that travellers rebooked into alternative hubs are moved back to GRU where possible, since interline agreements used during the closure may no longer apply. Freight forwarders also expect relief: cargo backlogs in GRU’s TECA terminal peaked at 4,500 tonnes in mid-April and are now clearing at 800 t/day. GRU Airport says additional, shorter maintenance closures will occur overnight in June and July, but no further daytime disruptions are planned in 2026.
For travellers arranging last-minute trips to São Paulo, obtaining the correct visa can be as time-sensitive as securing an arrival slot. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) streamlines Brazil visa applications with step-by-step guidance and real-time status updates, giving mobility teams one less variable to worry about while operations at GRU normalise.
With both runways available again, slot coordination has returned to normal and airlines are reinstating frequencies cut during the works. LATAM has restored its second daily Miami rotation, Lufthansa reinstated its Frankfurt flight to a pre-dawn departure, and Emirates has reverted its DXB–GRU timing to the late-evening bank. For business travellers the reopening eliminates the need for improvised re-routing via Rio de Janeiro or Brasília, saving connection time and hotel costs. Mobility teams should verify that travellers rebooked into alternative hubs are moved back to GRU where possible, since interline agreements used during the closure may no longer apply. Freight forwarders also expect relief: cargo backlogs in GRU’s TECA terminal peaked at 4,500 tonnes in mid-April and are now clearing at 800 t/day. GRU Airport says additional, shorter maintenance closures will occur overnight in June and July, but no further daytime disruptions are planned in 2026.
