The Spanish operator will develop a new passenger terminal twice the size of the existing building, with more passenger boarding bridges and 20,000m2 for commercial premises. Congonhas is the second busiest airport in Brazil and the expansion will increase the airport's annual capacity to 29.5 million passengers.
Aena chairman Maurici Lucena described the project as “Aena's most important in the international area”. Aena Brazil manages 17 airports in the country. Last year the operator completed the renovation of airports in the North East, in particular Recife. The total investment in the Block of Eleven Brazilian Airports (BOAB) for the coming years, which includes Congonhas, will amount to BRL 4.5bn (€835bn).
Work on the new São Paulo terminal will begin in 2024 and is scheduled for completion in June 2028. The boarding and arrivals area will double in size to 105,000m2. The departures terminal will have a new check-in hall and 19 new boarding bridges, which will replace the existing 12 bridges, allowing 70% of boardings to be direct to the aircraft.
With the expansion, Congonhas will also gain commercial space, with a wider range of services for passengers, new VIP lounges, offices and business lounges. The airport will have a new 215,000m2 apron for commercial aviation and aircraft parking areas will increase from 30 to 37. Existing runways and aprons will undergo structural reinforcement, while new aircraft taxiways, a new general aviation service road and a fast runway exit will be built.
The whole project includes the preservation, revitalisation and integration of the areas listed as Historical Heritage, Aena said.
In terms of sustainability, Congonhas Airport will have a new electrical substation, which will allow the use of clean energy. There will also be a new solid waste collection point and a water treatment station, as well as more natural lighting and a more efficient air-conditioning system.
