On December 16, the Salgado Filho International Airport in Porto Alegre (RS) fully reopened its main 3,200-meter runway, once again allowing landings and takeoffs at full capacity. The infrastructure had been partially operational since October 21, with its length limited to 1,800 meters while recovery works were carried out on 1,400 meters of runway 11, damaged by the April floods in Rio Grande do Sul.
The first landing following the complete reopening was performed by a LATAM Brasil Airbus A320 (registration PR-TQC) on flight LA-3146 arriving from Congonhas, São Paulo.
According to the operator Fraport Brasil, in addition to the runway restoration, the taxiways were rehabilitated, and improvements were completed in the passenger terminal. This allows the airport to resume 24/7 operations, facilitating a significant increase in flight traffic. Currently, the airport handles approximately 3,300 monthly operations.
On the international front, the airport is preparing for the return of key connections with Chile, Peru, and Panama through LATAM and Copa Airlines, starting in January 2025. Additionally, routes operated by TAP Air Portugal and Aerolíneas Argentinas will be restored in April, and SKY Airline will resume operations in June.
According to data from Cirium, the airport will still be 18.7% below 2024 levels in January 2025, with an estimated average of 124 daily flights. However, the outlook is optimistic with the gradual recovery of domestic and international routes.
New routes in Porto Alegre
Among the highlights is the resumption of seasonal flights to Recife (REC) with Azul and Salvador (SSA) with GOL, active between December and January.
To date, 13 domestic destinations and 3 airlines have resumed operations:
- Azul: Belo Horizonte/Confins, Campinas/Viracopos, Curitiba, Pelotas, Recife, Rio de Janeiro/Galeão, Santa Maria, Santo Angelo, São Paulo/Congonhas, São Paulo/Guarulhos, and Uruguaiana.
- GOL: Brasília, Rio de Janeiro/Galeão, Salvador, São Paulo/Congonhas, and São Paulo/Guarulhos.
- LATAM: Brasília, Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro/Galeão, São Paulo/Congonhas, and São Paulo/Guarulhos.
There are still routes to be restored, mostly within the states of Rio Grande do Sul and the neighboring Paraná and Santa Catarina. Azul must recover Santa Cruz do Sul, Canela, Navegantes, Florianópolis, Santa Rosa, and Foz do Iguaçu, while GOL must resume flights to Curitiba.
