São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

São Paulo/Guarulhos
Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport
Aeroporto Internacional de
São Paulo/Guarulhos
Governador André Franco Montoro

IATA: GRU – ICAO: SBGR
Summary
Airport type Military/Public
Operator Infraero
Location São Paulo
Elevation AMSL 2,459 ft / 750 m
Coordinates 23°25′55″S 46°28′10″W / -23.43194, -46.46944
Website Infraero.gov.br
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09R/27L 3,000 9,843 Asphalt
09L/27R 3,700 12,140 Asphalt

São Paulo/Guarulhos – Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (IATA: GRU, ICAO: SBGR), also known as Cumbica International Airport, is a major Brazilian airport, the country's busiest by passenger traffic, located in the neighborhood of Cumbica, in the city of Guarulhos in metropolitan São Paulo. The airport is located 25 kilometers from São Paulo's downtown.

A hub in South America[1], Guarulhos is Brazil's busiest airport by passenger traffic, handling 18,795,596 passengers and 187,960 aircraft movements in 2007[2]. By cargo traffic, it is the busiest airport in Latin America and the 36th busiest airport in the world. [3] However, this airport was put in the world's third place in number of delayed flights by Forbes magazine in January, 2008. [4]

Comprising 3,425 acres (14 km²), of which 5 km² is urbanized area, the airport's infrastructure has its own highway system: Rodovia Helio Smidt from the airport is connected to Rodovia Presidente Dutra and Rodovia Ayrton Senna.

All passenger traffic is divided between two terminals (TPS1 and TPS2). With 260 check-in counters, the airport is operational 24 hours a day. 39 national and international airlines fly from São Paulo-Guarulhos to 28 different countries, as well as more than 100 cities in Brazil and the world.

Korean Air is the newest airline to operate at the airport, on July 1, 2008, with flights to Los Angeles and Seoul-Incheon. Air Minas was the latest airline to cease operations at the airport, on January 1, 2008, due to a serious financial crisis, low occupation in its flights, and trouble being competitive. Qatar Airways postponed its plans to fly to São Paulo, from the first half of 2007 to the first half of 2008, due to a lack of aircraft.[5]

Airport plans call for the construction of two additional terminals (TPS3 and TPS4) and a third runway, bringing the airport to full capacity for passenger and cargo operations.

On November 28, 2001 a federal law[6] changed the airport name to honor the ex-governor of São Paulo state, André Franco Montoro, deceased in 1999, although the official name is hardly ever used by locals, who normally refer to it as Guarulhos Airport or, even more commonly, just Cumbica, after the Guarulhos neighbourhood and former Brazilian Air Force base that existed at the site before the airport was built.

Contents

[edit] Airport expansion

Overview of TPS1 and TPS2
Overview of TPS1 and TPS2

The Southeast Regional Administration of Infraero is undertaking a major 1 billion reais development at Guarulhos, which is being financed out of the national growth plan. Central to this is a third terminal, which will add another 12 million passenger capacity to the 17 million of the existing two terminals, a third runway, and an airport express rail link to the city.

The long-term plan also envisages a fourth terminal. The master plan forecasts traffic reaching some 25 million annually by 2013.

The preparation of bids for the construction of the third terminal is in the final stages, with preliminary work due to start before the end of 2007. Construction of the airport express train has also been given high priority. More than 25 Brazilian and international companies have expressed an interest in taking this project forward.

Construction is planned to start in 2008, with completion scheduled for 2010. Planning for a third runway to the north of the present terminal area is at an early stage, awaiting social and environmental impact studies. A second runway at Viracopos/Campinas and a fast train service to the city center are also being discussed.[7]

[edit] Terminals and destinations

[edit] Terminal 1 (TPS1)

[edit] Wing A

External view of Terminal 1 (TPS1)
External view of Terminal 1 (TPS1)
Internal view of Terminal 1 (TPS1)
Internal view of Terminal 1 (TPS1)
  • Mexicana (Mexico City) [Begins november 1, 2008]
  • Passaredo (Barreiras, Cuiabá, Franca, Goiânia, Ribeirão Preto, São José do Rio Preto, Uberlândia, Vitória da Conquista)
  • United Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles)

[edit] Wing B

  • OceanAir Focus city (Aracaju, Brasília, Campina Grande, Caruaru, Cascavel, Curitiba, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Juazeiro do Norte, Luanda, Maceió, Mexico City, Montes Claros, Natal, Paulo Afonso, Petrolina, Porto Alegre, Punta del Este, Recife, Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, Salvador, Teresina)
  • TAM Hub (Aracaju, Belém, Belo Horizonte-Confins, Boa Vista, Brasília, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Caxias do Sul, Campinas, Caracas, Campo Grande, Caxias do Sul, Comandatuba, Corumbá, Cuiabá, Curitiba, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Foz do Iguaçu, Frankfurt, Goiânia, Havana [begins July 2008], Ilhéus, Imperatriz, João Pessoa, Joinville, London-Heathrow, Londrina, Macapá, Maceió, Madrid, Manaus, Marabá, Maringá, Miami, Milan-Malpensa, Natal, New York-JFK, Palmas, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Porto Alegre, Porto Seguro, Porto Velho, Recife, Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, Salvador, Santarém, Santiago, São Luís, Teresina, Vitória)

[edit] Terminal 2 (TPS2)

External view of Terminal 2 (TPS2)
External view of Terminal 2 (TPS2)

[edit] Wing C

  • America Air (Alfenas, Belo Horizonte-Pampulha, Juiz de Fora, Lins, Ourinhos, São José dos Campos)
  • Gol Hub (Aracaju, Asunción, Belém, Belo Horizonte-Confins, Belém, Boa Vista, Brasília, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Caxias do Sul, Campina Grande, Campo Grande, Chapecó, Cuiabá, Curitiba, Córdoba, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Foz do Iguaçu, Goiânia, Ilhéus, Imperatriz, João Pessoa, Juazeiro do Norte, Lima, Londrina, Macapá, Maceió, Manaus, Maringá, Montevideo, Natal, Palmas, Petrolina, Porto Alegre, Porto Seguro, Porto Velho, Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, Recife, Rio Branco, Rosario, Salvador, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santarém, Santiago, São Luís, Teresina, Vitória)
    • Varig Hub (Belo Horizonte, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Curitiba, Fernando de Noronha, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Manaus, Montevidéo, Paris-Charles de Gaulle (Ends June 9th), Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, Salvador, Vitória)
  • Pluna (Buenos Aires-Aeroparque, Madrid, Montevideo, Punta del Este)

[edit] Wing D


Internal view of Terminal 2 (TPS2)
Internal view of Terminal 2 (TPS2)

[edit] See also

[edit] Gallery

Inaugural plaque at the airport

[edit] References

  1. ^ Beting, Gianfranco. Guarulhos Hub Sulamericano (Portuguese). Jetsite. Retrieved on 2007-02-18.
  2. ^ Movimento Operacional da Rede Infraero (Portuguese). Infraero. infraero.gov.br. Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
  3. ^ Airports Council International (May, 2007). World Wide Airport Traffic Statistics. aicm.com.mx. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
  4. ^ Wingfield, Brian (January 14, 2007). The World's Most-Delayed Airports. Forbes.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
  5. ^ Maia, Roberto (2007-03-10). Qatar Airways relaciona vôos para 2007 (Portuguese). Brasilturis Jornal. Retrieved on 2001-03-11.
  6. ^ Lei nº 10.314, de 28 de novembro de 2001 (Portuguese). Presidência da República. Planalto.gov.br. Retrieved on 2007-18-02.
  7. ^ Breaking point: Brazil's air traffic growth puts pressure on infrastructure

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: