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With Almost 5 Km in Length, the Embraer Aerodrome Runway in Gavião Peixoto (SP) Is Not Only the Largest Landing and Takeoff Runway in Brazil, but Also the Largest in the Americas and One of the Five Largest in the World.
In the interior of São Paulo, in Gavião Peixoto, lies the largest landing and takeoff runway in Brazil. The facility, which belongs to Embraer, is a true engineering colossus, designed to be the main testing ground for the Brazilian aerospace industry.
According to data from Embraer itself and aviation authorities, the runway is not only a national record. Its size places it in a prominent position on the global stage. The story of its construction and its features reveal why such a long runway is a strategic necessity for one of the largest airplane manufacturers in the world.
What Is the Embraer Aerodrome in Gavião Peixoto and Where Is It Located?
Embraer’s unit in Gavião Peixoto (SP) was officially inaugurated on October 17, 2001. The city was chosen after analyzing nearly 300 locations due to its topography, ideal for the construction of a large-scale industrial complex.
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The aerodrome (ICAO identifier: SBGP) is Embraer’s center of excellence for final assembly, flight testing, and certification of its aircraft. It is where planes such as the KC-390 military cargo aircraft, the Super Tucano, and, since May 2023, the Swedish fighter Saab Gripen E, in partnership with the Brazilian Air Force, are assembled and tested.
The Numbers of Leadership: 4,967 Meters in Length
The main runway at Gavião Peixoto, designated 02R/20L, has a total paved length of 4,967 meters, or almost 5 kilometers. Its width is 45 meters, but it reaches 95 meters in the central portion to provide greater safety for complex maneuvers.
This length makes it by far the largest landing and takeoff runway in Brazil. To give you an idea, the largest runway at a commercial airport in the country is at the Galeão International Airport (GIG) in Rio de Janeiro, which is 4,000 meters long.
The Technical Nuance: The Difference Between Physical Length and Certified Length
One crucial piece of information, however, is the difference between the physical size and the operational size of the runway. According to the Department of Airspace Control (DECEA), the certified length for standard landing and takeoff operations in Gavião Peixoto is 3,000 meters.
The almost 2,000 remaining meters function as a stopway. This extra length is an essential safety margin for conducting high-risk tests, such as takeoffs at maximum weight and high-speed brake testing.
The Largest Landing Runway in the Americas? A Comparison with the Giants of the Continent
The claim that the Gavião Peixoto runway is the longest in the Americas is accurate, but with an important caveat. Among paved runways, it ranks number one, surpassing that of the Denver International Airport in the USA, which is 4,877 meters long.
However, if we consider all types of surfaces, the largest runway on the continent is at the Edwards Air Force Base in the USA. There, the bed of a dry lake is used as a natural runway measuring about 12,000 meters long, utilized for testing experimental aircraft and for the landing of NASA’s Space Shuttle.
How Gavião Peixoto Positions Itself in the Global Scenario
The runway at Embraer is not just a regional giant; it is among the largest in the world. In a global ranking of paved runways, Gavião Peixoto occupies the fifth position.
It ranks behind only installations in China and Russia, such as the Qamdo Bamda Airport in Tibet, which, at 5,500 meters, is the longest in the world. The great length of these runways, as well as that of Gavião Peixoto, is an engineering necessity, whether to operate at extreme altitudes or to ensure safety during cutting-edge aircraft testing.
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