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Three Brazilian airports ranked among the ten busiest in Latin America in 2025, according to the International Airport Council. Guarulhos led the ranking with 23.1 million passengers, Congonhas ranked 7th with 11.9 million, and Galeão 10th with 8.7 million. The results coincide with private investments of R$ 3.38 billion in the sector in 2024 and new billion-dollar investments planned for the three terminals.
Brazilian airports are experiencing a moment of expansion that is directly reflected in international rankings. Guarulhos Airport, in São Paulo, led the list of the busiest in Latin America in 2025 with over 23.1 million passengers, a result 8.3% higher than recorded the previous year. The São Paulo terminal was ahead of competitors like El Dorado in Bogotá and Mexico City International Airport, consolidating its position as the largest air hub in the Latin American continent.
In addition to Guarulhos, two other Brazilian airports entered the top 10 of the ranking prepared by the International Airport Council of Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC). Congonhas appeared in 7th position with about 11.9 million passengers, and Galeão closed the list in 10th place with 8.7 million. The Rio terminal recorded one of the most significant growths of the period, with an increase of 23.6% in traveler flow between 2024 and 2025. Having three airports among the ten largest in the region is a concrete indicator that the investments made in Brazilian airport infrastructure are generating measurable results.
Guarulhos: the Latin American leader with R$ 1.4 billion in new investments
Guarulhos not only led the ranking of airports in Latin America but also received confirmation of an investment of R$ 1.4 billion aimed at the expansion and modernization of the terminal. The package includes 21 projects that encompass terminal expansion, technological integration, and operational improvements in aprons and taxiways, the routes where airplanes move between the terminal and the runway. The renegotiation of the concession contract was approved by the Federal Court of Accounts in October 2024, allowing the resumption of structural works and extending the contract until November 2033.
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With 23.1 million passengers in 2025, Guarulhos operates at a volume that requires continuous investments to maintain service quality. Long check-in lines, congestion on taxiways, and insufficient gate capacity are issues that affect passenger experience and the punctuality of air operations. The announced R$ 1.4 billion aims to address these bottlenecks before the growth in demand turns the largest airport in Latin America into a choke point for Brazilian aviation.
Congonhas: from 22 to 30 million passengers
Among the three Brazilian airports in the ranking, Congonhas faces the most ambitious transformation. The estimated R$ 2.4 billion investments aim to make the terminal a benchmark in modernity, sustainability, and operational efficiency, following international standards. After the completion of the interventions, the airport’s annual capacity is expected to jump from 22 million to almost 30 million passengers, an increase of more than 36% in installed capacity.
With 11.9 million passengers in 2025, Congonhas operates below half the projected capacity for the future, indicating significant room for growth. The terminal, located in the southern zone of São Paulo, predominantly serves domestic flights and is preferred by executives and corporate travelers due to its proximity to the city’s financial center. The expansion to 30 million passengers will require not only more physical space but also modernization of baggage systems, expansion of boarding areas, and improvements in accessibility.
Galeão: growth of 23.6% and a new concessionaire
Galeão recorded the highest percentage growth among the three Brazilian airports in the ranking, with a 23.6% increase in passenger flow between 2024 and 2025. The 8.7 million travelers who passed through the Rio terminal placed the airport in the 10th position in Latin America, a significant recovery for a terminal that faced years of declining movement and operational difficulties under the previous concession.
The Galeão was auctioned in March by the Spanish company Aena, one of the largest airport operators in the world, with a bid of R$ 2.9 billion. The new concession model incorporates regulatory improvements and seeks to ensure the sustainability of the operation until 2039. For Rio de Janeiro, which relies on tourism as an economic engine, having an international airport under the management of a global operator represents the possibility of recovering lost international routes and attracting new airlines.
R$ 3.38 billion in private investments: the record that boosted the results
The performance of Brazilian airports in international rankings is no coincidence. In 2024, the Brazilian airport sector received R$ 3.38 billion in private investments and R$ 549.5 million in public investments, totaling almost R$ 4 billion in works and improvements. This record volume of investments translated into more modern terminals, more efficient operations, and increased capacity to accommodate the demand growth that materialized in 2025.
The relationship between investment and result is visible in the movement numbers. When airports receive more aircraft parking positions, more boarding gates, and faster baggage systems, the capacity to process passengers increases without deteriorating the travel experience. The record investments in 2024 created the conditions for Guarulhos, Congonhas, and Galeão to grow in 2025 without operational collapse.
More than 34 million passengers in the first quarter of 2026
Brazilian airports continue on a growth trajectory in 2026. In the first quarter of the year, more than 34 million passengers used domestic and international flights across the country, a volume 9.52% higher than recorded in the same period of 2025. International movement showed even more impressive performance, with more than 8.3 million passengers on flights abroad, a growth of 13.2% compared to the previous year.
In the domestic market, the increase was 8.35%, with more than 25.7 million passengers transported in the quarter. These numbers indicate that the growth recorded in 2025 was not a one-off, but the beginning of a trend sustained by a combination of infrastructure investments, increased flight offerings, and recovery of the population’s purchasing power. If the pace continues, 2026 could set new records for movement at Brazilian airports.
Three airports at the top and infrastructure that needs to keep up
Brazil placed three airports among the ten busiest in Latin America in 2025, with Guarulhos leading the continental ranking. The R$ 3.38 billion investments in 2024, the R$ 1.4 billion planned for Guarulhos, the R$ 2.4 billion for Congonhas, and the R$ 2.9 billion from the new Galeão contract comprise an investment cycle totaling billions of reais that needs to translate into terminals capable of absorbing the double-digit growth that demand has been registering.
Have you noticed improvements in Brazilian airports in recent years? Tell us in the comments which terminal you use the most, if the travel experience has improved with recent investments, and what is still needed for Brazilian airports to reach international standards. We want to hear your opinion on the country’s air infrastructure.
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