Concessionaire Aena Brasil will permanently close the current entrance to Congonhas Airport for drivers coming from the bairro-centro direction of Avenida Washington Luís at 05:00 on Saturday, 13 June 2026. A new access point located 50 metres further north will take its place, the company told Panrotas this week. The diversion is needed to clear space for piling and utility relocation associated with the R$3.3 billion terminal-expansion project that will almost double the airport’s passenger areas by 2028. While the change appears minor on a map, Congonhas handles more than 700 take-offs and landings per day, most of them high-frequency shuttle flights used by Brazil’s business community. Ride-hailing companies and corporate car services have been asked to update GPS systems immediately; signage installed by São Paulo’s CET traffic authority will guide private motorists, but peak-hour congestion is expected until drivers adapt. Access for vehicles approaching in the centro-bairro direction remains unchanged. Inside the airport, lane separation for departures and arrivals will also shift by a few meters, and pedestrian crossings are being repositioned. Airlines have started sending SMS and app notifications advising passengers to arrive at least 30 minutes earlier than usual next week. The city’s subway Line 17 monorail station, slated to open later this year, is unaffected. For corporate mobility teams the key takeaway is that door-to-gate times could lengthen by up to 20 minutes during the adjustment period. Travel managers should review chauffeur buffers, resynchronise meeting schedules for day-trip commuters and alert international guests connecting through Congonhas from other Brazilian cities. Aena says the traffic plan will be reassessed after 30 days and adjusted if bottlenecks persist.
Source: Panrotas
