São Paulo is Brazil’s largest metropolis and home to more than 12 million inhabitants. The city is served by two major airports: Guarulhos and Congonhas. The latter is famous among enthusiasts around the world due to its short runways and proximity to the surrounding city, evident during the breathtaking approaches. While terrain in the region is flat, the airfield is situated at 2,631ft (802m) above sea level.
The facility is located just five miles (8km) from downtown and has two parallel runways, 35L/17R at 6,365ft (1,940m) and 35R/17L at 4,708ft (1,435m). Traffic operating from the complex is often affected by haze, pollution and cloud cover, so the site has a CAT 1 ILS (category 1 instrument landing system) in operation. The country’s proximity to the ITZ (intertropical convergence zone) often provides thunderstorms and associated turbulence for passengers.
In 2019, Congonhas handled 21.9m passengers, making it the second busiest gateway in Brazil (and 7th overall in South America), behind only neighbouring Guarulhos. With the site severely restricted in terms of expansion, the airfield has been operating around 20% above maximum capacity in recent years.
The facility has a single terminal dating…
