Rio de Janeiro: passenger traffic at Galeão Airport has dropped by 65% in the last 8 years

By Bruno Grubertt, Lucas Madureira, Karol Caparelli and Raoni Alves

The average passenger movement at Tom Jobim International Airport, Galeão, on Ilha do Governador, dropped 65% over the past eight years, according to data from the RiOGaleão concessionaire responsible for managing the airport in Rio’s North Zone.

In 2014, the first year of private management of the airport, the total number of passengers embarking and disembarking at Galeão reached 17 million.

By 2022, the company recorded 5.9 million passengers at the airport.

The drop of more than 11 million in eight years, or 65%, indicates a loss for the economy of the city and the state of Rio de Janeiro.

According to the director of FGV Transportes, Marcus Quintella, the passengers who used to arrive in Rio through Galeão did not start arriving through Santos Dumont.

That is, the difference of more than 11 million people indicates the strong economic loss that affected the state and municipality of Rio.

“Santos Dumont is returning to carry the number of passengers practically the same as before the pandemic, while Galeão left 17 million 2019 passengers and dropped to 3 or 4 million (5.9).”

“That number that disappeared from Galeão certainly did not go to Santos Dumont.”

“This is due to the economic conjuncture. It is a loss for the city and the state of Rio de Janeiro, no doubt about it,” commented Marcus Quintella.

The situation is worrying for Márcio França, Minister of Ports and Airports of Brazil.

According to him, the federal government will take measures to make Galeão Airport a reference in Brazil again.

“The orientation of President Lula and the new government is that we have many more passengers all over Brazil.”

“And Galeão is very important. It is central to Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.”

“It has already been an important reference in Brazil, and it will be again,” commented Márcio França.

The government’s idea is to deal with the problem on April 24, when a meeting is scheduled at the National Civil Aviation Secretariat with the presence of Minister Márcio França, Governor Cláudio Castro, and Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes.

At the meeting, the authorities should discuss possible solutions to increase the number of passengers at Galeão.

Mayor Eduardo Paes pointed out that part of the problem is the migration of flights from Galeão to Santos Dumont Airport.

The head of the municipal executive defended the privatization of the terminal in downtown Rio and a greater balance in the distribution of flights.

“When you take all the domestic flights, connecting flights from Galeão, and take them to Santos Dumont, filling up Santos Dumont, naturally the international companies, which connect Rio to the world, lose interest in coming to Galeão airport.”

“Rio loses twice the international connections and flights that could come to our city,” commented Paes.

“Santos Dumont has to be granted, together with Galeão airport.”

“Santos Dumont cannot be Infraero’s only revenue to sustain all the airports in Brazil,” concluded the Rio de Janeiro mayor.

According to the RIOGaleão concessionaire, the airport currently has flights to 12 domestic and 19 international destinations and the longest commercial runway in Brazil, with 4,000 meters.

Far from its maximum operating capacity of 37 million passengers per year, Galeão Airport expected 34% more traffic this Easter weekend than in 2022.

The expectation is to receive 87,000 passengers between domestic and international flights.

“I live on the Island, so Galeão is much more convenient.”

“Normally, it has been easier to get flights at Santos Dumont, even in terms of price, but this time even the price was good here (Galeão),” commented passenger Isabelle Duran

HIGH TRAFFIC AT SANTOS DUMONT

While the Galeão Airport suffers from a drop in the number of passengers, the Santos Dumont Airport in downtown Rio has been registering an increase in the average number of arrivals and landings.

Administered by Infraero, the terminal counted 10.1 million passengers in 2022.

Ten years ago, the downtown airport received 9.2 million people.

The overcrowding at Santos Dumont Airport also causes problems in the terminal’s operation.

Long queues, lack of punctuality, and flight cancellations have become more frequent in recent years.

Operating close to its maximum capacity, Santos Dumont also generates problems at the other end of the Rio-São Paulo air bridge.

According to the Airhelp website, 29% of the flights on the main route operated at the downtown Rio airport left with delays of more than 15 minutes in the first two months of this year.

By comparison, in the same period in 2022, only 6.9% of flights leaving Santos Dumont for Congonhas Airport in São Paulo were delayed.

The maximum passenger capacity per year at Santos Dumont also became controversial.

Last year, Infraero announced that the airport could handle up to 9.9 million passengers annually.

However, the federal agency responsible for managing Brazilian airports now considers that Santos Dumont’s annual passenger capacity is up to 15.3 million.

According to Infraero, the maximum capacity has not changed.

In a note, the public company explained that the higher number considers 12 peak hours per day at Santos Dumont Airport and that the capacity of 9.9 million passengers per year is relative to the low demand of 8 peak hours per day.

Still, according to Infraero, they started to publish on the website the maximum capacity with high demand (15.3 million and no longer the 9.9 million).

Regarding flight delays, Infraero said that the punctuality of the operation is subject to adverse events, such as weather conditions, delays in origin, interruptions, or congestion of access roads to the airport, among other factors.

With information from g1