Congonhas Keeps Its Curfew but Gains an Exception
BRAZIL · AVIATION
Key Facts
- —The decision Brazil’s aviation regulator ruled on 8 September that flights already scheduled at Congonhas may finish after 11pm in exceptional cases.
- —What it is not It does not extend opening hours, create slots or allow regular flights to be scheduled after 11pm.
- —The cases Emergency or force majeure, adverse weather, safety interruptions, and events with systemic effects on the network.
- —Who asked Abear, the Brazilian airline association.
- —The curfew Congonhas operates from 6am to 11pm. Civil operations after 11pm are otherwise prohibited.
- —Why it exists Noise. Complaints rose from 13 over five months in late 2021 to 160 between January and May 2026.
Sao Paulo’s city airport keeps its curfew. What changed is what happens when a storm or a failure leaves an aircraft short of it.
Brazil’s civil aviation regulator decided on Tuesday 8 September that aircraft already scheduled to operate at Congonhas may complete their flights after 11pm in exceptional circumstances.
What Was Approved
The decision reinterprets Resolution 55 of 2008. It applies only to flights already scheduled.
It does not extend the airport’s operating hours. It does not create new slots. It does not permit airlines to schedule regular services after 11pm.
Four categories qualify: emergency or force majeure, adverse weather, occurrences that interrupt operations for safety reasons, and events causing systemic impacts on the Brazilian air network.
The request came from Abear, the association representing Brazilian airlines.
Claudio Beschizza Ianelli, the rapporteur, framed the measure as addressing exceptional events that cause interruptions in the network.
The Curfew and Why It Is There
Congonhas sits inside Sao Paulo. Its official operating window runs from 6am to 11pm, and civil aircraft operations after 11pm are prohibited.
Existing exceptions are humanitarian: patient and injury transport, organ transplants, and search and rescue.
The curfew exists because of noise complaints from the surrounding neighbourhoods, among them Jabaquara, Moema and Itaim Bibi.
Those complaints have risen sharply. There were 13 over five months in late 2021, and 160 between January and May 2026.
The number of flights the change will affect, and which airlines, were not specified.
More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can airlines now schedule flights after 11pm at Congonhas?
No. The decision only lets flights already scheduled complete their operation after 11pm in exceptional cases. Opening hours and slots are unchanged.
What counts as an exceptional case?
Emergency or force majeure, adverse weather, occurrences that interrupt operations for safety reasons, and events with systemic effects on the national network.
Why does Congonhas close at 11pm?
Because it sits inside Sao Paulo and generates noise complaints from surrounding neighbourhoods. Complaints rose from 13 in late 2021 to 160 between January and May 2026.
Who requested the change?
Abear, the Brazilian association of airlines.
Sources: InfoMoney, Panrotas, Times Brasil, Diario do Grande ABC, Jovem Pan.
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