A survey based on data from the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) shows which are the ten most domestic air routes in Brazil and which capitals have the fewest flights. The data includes commercial flights performed in 2022.
What are the main links?
The air bridge between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo is still the main link in the country. In all, there were 29,324 takeoffs between Congonhas (SP) and Santos Dumont (RJ) airports.
The airport in the capital, São Paulo, still appears in several other locations among the ten airports with the highest number of scheduled commercial operations in the country. See the ratings below:
1) Sao Paulo (Congonhas) and Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont) – Airlift
- Operations: 29,324 takeoffs
- Daily average: 80 take off
2- Sao Paulo (Congonhas) and Porto Alegre (Russia)
- Operations: 12,673 takeoffs
- Daily average: 35 flights
3) Sao Paulo (Congonhas) and Belo Horizonte (Convins/MG)
- Operations: 12574 takeoffs
- Daily average: 34 flights
4) Sao Paulo (Conjunhas) and Brasilia (DF)
- Operations: 12275 take off
- Daily average: 34 flights
5) Porto Alegre (RS) and Guarulhos (SP)
- Operations: 11,260 takeoffs
- Daily average: 31 flights
6) Sao Paulo (Congonhas) and Belo Horizonte (Convins/MG)
- Operations: 10,769 takeoffs
- Daily average: 30 flights
7) Recife (PE) and Guarulhos (SP)
- Operations: 10,448 takeoffs
- Daily average: 29 flights
8) Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont) vs Brasilia (DF)
- Operations: 12213 take off
- Daily average: 28 flights
9) Guarulhos (SP) to Curitiba (Afonso Pena, in São José dos Pinhais / PR)
- Operations: 9471 take off
- Daily average: 26 flights
10) Sao Paulo (Congonhas) and Salvador (BA)
- Operations: 8966 takeoffs
- Daily average: 25 flights
Cities with fewer flights
While São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro stand out as the main connections, many capital cities have a very low level of operations.
Guarulhos Airport (SP) was the airport with the most departures in 2022, with approximately 174,000 flights. On the other hand, Boa Vista (RR) recorded only 2,745 flights last year.
In addition, the airports serving the ten capitals with the lowest number of takeoffs and landings in the country do not reach 40% of the traffic of Guarulhos Airport. See below cities with fewer flights:
1) Roraima (RR) – Atlas of Brazil Cantanhead –
- 2,745 landings and takeoffs
2) Rio Branco (AC) – Placido de Castro
- 2874 landings and takeoffs
3) Macapa (AP) – Alberto Alcolombre
- 4,123 landings and takeoffs
4) Palmas (TO) – Brigadier General Lysias Rodrigues
- 5161 landings and takeoffs
5) Porto Filho (RO) – Governor Jorge Teixeira de Oliveira
- 5868 landings and takeoffs
6) Aracaju (southeast) – Santa Maria
- 8105 landing and take off
7) Teresina (PI) – Sen. Petronio Portela
- 8161 landings and takeoffs
8) Joao Pessoa (PB) – President Castro Pinto
- 9171 landings and takeoffs
9) Sao Luis (MA) – Marechal Cunha Machado
- 11253 landings and takeoffs
10) Campo Grande International Airport (MS)
- 11,345 landings and takeoffs
understand the arrangement
Only scheduled and unscheduled commercial flights on domestic routes conducted during 2022 were taken into account in this survey. Unscheduled landings (such as an in-flight emergency) are still included.
The airport serving Joao Pessoa is located in the neighboring city of Santa Rita (PB). Afonso Pena Airport, in São José dos Pinais, serves the capital, Curitiba (PR). Tancredo Neves Airport, in Convince (MG), in turn serves the Belo Horizonte metropolitan area.
The information has been extracted from the database available on the ANAC (National Civil Aviation Agency) website. There may be small differences between the data presented in the report and other data reported in public bodies, mainly due to differences in survey methodology and the constant updating of open databases.
Charlotte Whitmore is a contributor at Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a broad range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and practical information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. Her work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism that keeps readers connected to the issues shaping the UK and beyond.