São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport

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São Paulo/Guarulhos - Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport (Cumbica) Aeroporto Internacional de São Paulo/Guarulhos - Governador André Franco Montoro (Cumbica)
IATA: GRU – ICAO: SBGR
Summary
Airport type		Public/Military
Operator		Infraero
Serves		São Paulo
Location		Guarulhos, Brazil
Hub for		Gol, Tam
Elevation AMSL		2,459 ft / 750 m
Coordinates		23°25′55″S 46°28′10″W / 23.43194°S 46.46944°W / -23.43194; -46.46944
Website		Infraero GRU
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
09R/27L	3,000	9,843	Asphalt
09L/27R	3,700	12,139	Asphalt
Statistics (2008)
Passengers			20,400,304
Aircraft operations			194,184
Metric tonnes of cargo			425,884
Sources: Airport Website [1], Infraero [2]

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 district of Cumbica, in the city of Guarulhos in metropolitan São Paulo. The airport is located 25 km (15 mi) from Downtown São Paulo. It began operations in 1985.

A hub in South America^[3], Guarulhos is Brazil's busiest airport by both passenger traffic and aircraft movements, handling 20,400,304 passengers and 194,184 aircraft movements in 2008. By cargo traffic, it is the second busiest airport in Latin America only exceeded by El Dorado International Airport of Bogotá, also the airport is the 36th busiest airport in the world.^[4] However, this airport was put in the world's third place in number of delayed flights by Forbes magazine in January, 2008.^[5]

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. El Al is the newest airline to start operations at the airport in May 2009, with flights to Israel. Air China was the latest airline to cease operations at the airport on 14 September 2008, citing rising fuel costs.^[6] However, Air China announced that it will resume services to the airport effective December 20, 2009. Qatar Airways postponed its plans to fly to São Paulo, from the first half of 2007 to the first half of 2008, and later indefinitely, due to a lack of aircraft.^[7]

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 28 November 2001, a federal law^[8] 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 name of the Brazilian Air Force base that exists at the site in which the airport was built. The Tropic of Capricorn passes directly through the southern tip of the airport.^[8]

[edit] Transportation options

The Helio Smidt Freeway (SP-019) that servers to access to the airport.

There are several transportation options available at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport. The most inexpensive way to travel to and from the airport is by bus. There is a public bus that runs every 30 minutes and travels to the city center of São Paulo. The bus terminal, located in the downtown part in the city. The bus travels to and from the airport. Counters at the airport for this bus service can be found at the Arrivals area of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. From the airport, there is also a shuttle bus that stops at many of the major centers, as well as the major beaches in the area. One of the nicer buses available in the area is the air-conditioned Empresa Real bus service that drives along the coast and into the city. There is also an executive city bus, and can purchase tickets for it in advance on the Arrivals floor. The travel time on the buses to the city center of São Paulo takes around 30–50 minutes depending on the traffic.

There are many taxi services available from the airport. The taxi stands are located outside the two terminals just outside the Baggage Claim area. It is recommended that travelers avoid the RDE taxi desk and instead go to the Rio de Janeiro State Tourism Authority desk. At this desk, can purchase pre-paid taxi vouchers, as well as get tourist information about São Paulo and the surrounding areas. If you do not purchase the pre-paid taxi vouchers, make sure that the meter has been cleared from the previous fare when you get in the taxi. Before departing, should get the price of the fare for the destination you are heading to, so there are no misunderstandings with the driver. To take a taxi to the city center of São Paulo takes around 30 minutes depending on the traffic. Generally, the taxis from the airport have fixed prices into the city and will usually cost around $30.00. There are also car rental facilities at the airport. Getting to the airport by car is very easy, as can take either the Ayrton Senna highway or Presidente Dutra highway and then follow the signs directly to the airport.

[edit] Airlines

Airbus A380.

São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport has 260 check-in counters and is open 24 hours a day. There are 39 airlines that service the airport both domestically and internationally. The airlines fly to 28 countries and to over 100 cities in Brazil. One of the newer airlines that serves the airport is Air China, which now has frequent flights to Beijing, stopping over in Madrid, Spain. Emirates Airline, from the United Arab Emirates, began service to São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in 2007. The airport can service up to 15 million passengers a year.

There is a third terminal that is being considered for the airport, which will raise the passenger capacity to 29 million per year.

Interior view of the airport.

[edit] Airport expansion

Panoramic view of Guarulhos Airport.

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, an airport express rail link to the city and a high-speed train connecting the airport to Rio de Janeiro and the city of Campinas together with all these cities main airports (specially Campinas's Viracopos International which is planned to be the country's largest airport by 2025 with capacity for over 60 million passengers annually).

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 prediction to be concluded for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. 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.

Plans for a third runway were considerate "technically impracticable" and cancelled on January 2008. The main focus of the state administration (Infraero) have been the third terminal and the development of Viracopos Airport in an attempt to release the pressure over the airports in São Paulo, one of the world's largest cities.

[edit] Terminals, airlines and destinations

Cities with direct international passenger airlinks with São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport

[edit] Accidents and incidents

[edit] Accidents involving fatalities

• 21 March 1989: Transbrasil flight 801, a cargo Boeing 707-349C registration PT-TCS, flying from Manaus to Guarulhos, crashed at the district of Vila Barros in Guarulhos, shortly before touch-down at runway 09R. That day, at 12h00 the runway was going to be closed for maintenance and the crew decided to speed up procedures to touch-down before closure (it was already 11:54). In a hurry, one of the crew members, by mistake, activated the air-dynamic brakes and the aircraft lost too much speed to have enough aerodynamic support (Stall). As a consequence the aircraft crashed at approximately 2 km from the airport. There were 25 fatalities which of these three were crew members and 22 were civilians on the accident site. Despite of the 22 fatalities, there were also over 100 injured on the ground.

[edit] See also

• List of the busiest airports in Brazil

[edit] Gallery

Inaugural plaque at the airport	The control tower	Guarulhos Airport at dusk	Approach Lighting System CAT II at Guarulhos Airport
External view of Terminal 1 (TPS1)	Internal view of Terminal 1 (TPS1)	External view of Terminal 2 (TPS2)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Airport information for SBGR at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.. Source: DAFIF.
• Airport information for SBGR at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective Oct. 2006).
• Current weather for SBGR at NOAA/NWS
• Accident history for GRU at Aviation Safety Network

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