Rousseff unveils new passenger terminal at Guarulhos Airport

President Dilma Rousseff officially unveiled the new passenger terminal at São Paulo International Airport / Guarulhos – Governador André Franco Montoro on Tuesday (May 20).

The new terminal is fully geared to international flights and can handle 12 million passengers a year in the first project phase. The project was carried out by GRU AirPort, the airport operator, which will begin modernizing Terminals 1 and 2 in October, due for delivery in the first half of 2016.

GRU AirPort president Antonio Miguel Marques pointed out that Guarulhos Airport is responsible for handling two-thirds of the total passengers flying into the country: “Now offering a world-class experience to our foreign visitors, it has also become the main air cargo gateway to Brazil. It's modern, purpose-built, and fully automated, and will certainly set a benchmark for competitors.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Rousseff said that Terminal 3 will be Brazil's calling card to foreigners arriving in São Paulo during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and onwards. “The facilities match up to the requirements, and it should indeed be the largest airport in the country. This makes us confident that it will be used for the World Cup and by all Brazilians in the coming years, because it's comfortable, fully functional, and safe.”

The president went on to point out that the government's next challenge is to provide more comfort to the fast-growing number of Brazilians who have become able to afford air travel – the number has more than tripled over the past decade –, as well as bolstering the regional network with new airports. In the state of São Paulo alone, 19 local airports will receive investments and incentives such as full airport fee exemption and subsidies on airline tickets to ensure regular flights.

Translated by Mayra Borges

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