Brazil’s largest carrier LATAM Airlines has confirmed that its daily service between Recife (REC) and Rio de Janeiro’s Galeão Airport (GIG) will be suspended from 26 October 2025 through 31 May 2026 for “operational reasons.” The announcement, published by travel trade portal PANROTAS, advises passengers to re-book via Fortaleza, Brasília, São Paulo/Congonhas or São Paulo/Guarulhos, where connections to Rio remain available.
The seven-month hiatus removes a key link between Pernambuco’s capital and Brazil’s second-largest city at the start of the southern-summer peak. Mobility planners moving staff to Recife’s growing tech and energy clusters—or to Rio’s oil-and-gas ecosystem—will face longer journey times and increased risk of missed connections.
LATAM insists it is “still investing in Pernambuco,” highlighting new REC–Buenos Aires and REC–Santiago routes, but the cut illustrates how airlines continue to rebalance domestic networks in response to fleet availability and fluctuating demand.
Companies with corporate-contracted fares should check whether negotiated change-fee waivers apply and whether unused ticket credits can be automated through their travel-management companies (TMCs). HR teams relocating employees between the two cities may need to increase relocation allowances for temporary accommodation when surface transport or indirect flights extend transit times.
Mobility professionals should also monitor airport-slot filings: the gap created at GIG could be filled by low-cost entrants such as Gol or Azul, potentially restoring capacity before next year’s peak tourism season.
The seven-month hiatus removes a key link between Pernambuco’s capital and Brazil’s second-largest city at the start of the southern-summer peak. Mobility planners moving staff to Recife’s growing tech and energy clusters—or to Rio’s oil-and-gas ecosystem—will face longer journey times and increased risk of missed connections.
LATAM insists it is “still investing in Pernambuco,” highlighting new REC–Buenos Aires and REC–Santiago routes, but the cut illustrates how airlines continue to rebalance domestic networks in response to fleet availability and fluctuating demand.
Companies with corporate-contracted fares should check whether negotiated change-fee waivers apply and whether unused ticket credits can be automated through their travel-management companies (TMCs). HR teams relocating employees between the two cities may need to increase relocation allowances for temporary accommodation when surface transport or indirect flights extend transit times.
Mobility professionals should also monitor airport-slot filings: the gap created at GIG could be filled by low-cost entrants such as Gol or Azul, potentially restoring capacity before next year’s peak tourism season.
