MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazilian civil aviation serves increasing number of passengers

“If we maintain this pace in the second half of the year, we will close 2025 with the best result in history,” Minister Silvio Costa Filho said

Brazil's commercial aviation sector experienced a record-breaking first half of 2025, transporting 61.8 million passengers on domestic and international flights. This represents a 10% increase compared to the same period in 2024, the Ministry of Ports and Airports said this week in a document based on the Demand and Supply Report from the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac).

The growth was fueled by both international and domestic travel, with international flights seeing a 15.3% rise (13.8 million passengers) and domestic flights increasing by 8.6% (over 40 million passengers).

Several major airports contributed significantly to this surge. Rio de Janeiro's Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (Galeão) showed the highest growth, with a 26% increase to 8.2 million passengers. Guarulhos Airport in São Paulo, the largest in the country, served nearly 22 million travelers, an 8% increase. Other notable airports with significant growth include Confins International Airport in Belo Horizonte (almost 15% increase) and Brasília Airport (7.6% increase).

The Ministry of Ports and Airports attributes this success to government investments in airport infrastructure, support for airlines, and appreciation of aviation workers, anticipating continued positive trends for the remainder of the year.

“We are experiencing the best period in our civil aviation history, and the numbers prove it. If we maintain this pace in the second half of the year, we will close 2025 with the best result in history,” Minister Silvio Costa Filho said in a statement.

“We have a positive scenario with good prospects for the coming months. The investments that the federal government has been making in civil aviation, with improvements in airport infrastructure, institutional support for airlines, and also the valorization of aviation workers, have had a significant effect at the end of the chain, allowing more Brazilians to travel, use air transport, and contribute to the country's development,” the Ministry's Director of Concessions and Regulatory Policies Daniel Longo also noted.