Brazil’s two busiest city-airport pairs—São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro—were hit by a wave of cancellations and delays on 20 January, throwing corporate itineraries and cargo connections into disarray just as the post-summer business season ramps up.
According to real-time data compiled by FlightAware and reported by Travel and Tour World, 135 flights were delayed and another 12 were cancelled across Congonhas (CGH) and Galeão (GIG) between 05:00 and 23:00 local time. LATAM Brasil bore the brunt, scrubbing 10 services and delaying 46 more, while GOL registered 2 cancellations and 61 delays. Azul, Aerolíneas Argentinas, TAP Air Portugal, Avianca and Emirates also suffered knock-on delays. (travelandtourworld.com)
![Flight chaos at São Paulo–Congonhas and Rio Galeão disrupts 147 departures, stranding thousands of travellers]()
Although weather was the immediate trigger—heavy afternoon squalls reduced visibility and slowed runway operations at Congonhas—airport sources said two structural factors compounded the problem. First, Congonhas is operating at 98 % slot occupancy following the addition of 86 new daily slots in October 2025; any minor hold-up cascades quickly. Second, Galeão’s ongoing terminal-roof refurbishment has narrowed peak-hour gate availability, forcing arriving jets to wait for parking stands and delaying turn-arounds.
For mobility managers the implications are tangible: mid-week day trips between Brazil’s financial and oil capitals are a staple of executive travel, and missed meetings ripple through project timelines. Freight forwarders moving critical auto-parts and high-value pharmaceuticals on “belly-hold” services also reported schedule slips, with some shipments rerouted overnight via Brasília.
Airlines have waived re-booking fees for affected passengers, but travel-management companies are advising corporate clients to add at least four hours of buffer to same-day returns this week and to prioritise early-morning departures before thunderstorms typically build. Longer-term, the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) faces renewed calls from IATA and the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABRACORP) to accelerate slot-management reform and to reconsider the pace at which extra movements are authorised at constrained airports such as CGH.
According to real-time data compiled by FlightAware and reported by Travel and Tour World, 135 flights were delayed and another 12 were cancelled across Congonhas (CGH) and Galeão (GIG) between 05:00 and 23:00 local time. LATAM Brasil bore the brunt, scrubbing 10 services and delaying 46 more, while GOL registered 2 cancellations and 61 delays. Azul, Aerolíneas Argentinas, TAP Air Portugal, Avianca and Emirates also suffered knock-on delays. (travelandtourworld.com)
Although weather was the immediate trigger—heavy afternoon squalls reduced visibility and slowed runway operations at Congonhas—airport sources said two structural factors compounded the problem. First, Congonhas is operating at 98 % slot occupancy following the addition of 86 new daily slots in October 2025; any minor hold-up cascades quickly. Second, Galeão’s ongoing terminal-roof refurbishment has narrowed peak-hour gate availability, forcing arriving jets to wait for parking stands and delaying turn-arounds.
For mobility managers the implications are tangible: mid-week day trips between Brazil’s financial and oil capitals are a staple of executive travel, and missed meetings ripple through project timelines. Freight forwarders moving critical auto-parts and high-value pharmaceuticals on “belly-hold” services also reported schedule slips, with some shipments rerouted overnight via Brasília.
Airlines have waived re-booking fees for affected passengers, but travel-management companies are advising corporate clients to add at least four hours of buffer to same-day returns this week and to prioritise early-morning departures before thunderstorms typically build. Longer-term, the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) faces renewed calls from IATA and the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABRACORP) to accelerate slot-management reform and to reconsider the pace at which extra movements are authorised at constrained airports such as CGH.
Source: Travel and Tour World
