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Galeao International Airport – GIG the Rio de Janeiro continues its growth process, which in the last year registered a 5% more passengers compared to the 2024.
As the industry gathers in Routes Americas 2026, all the spotlights point to the RIOgaleão International Airport (GIG) and its remarkable ability to capture the growing demand of the Southern Cone. This boom is in line with the long-term trajectory presented by Airbus, which shows that passenger traffic in Latin America has almost tripled in the last two decades.
The “Low Cost Effect” in Rio
The main catalyst for this regional transformation has been the aggressive expansion of ultra-low-cost airlines. (ULCC). JetSMART has emerged as a dominant force in GIG, recording an increase in 52% in your traffic during 2025. This growth has catapulted the Chilean airline to become the largest international operator at Rio's main gateway..
According to industry analysts present at the forum, The Southern Cone has become the definitive engine of growth for the airport. JetSMART, specifically, has managed to stimulate market segments that previously remained inactive, directly addressing the regional “connectivity gap” where 130 international markets without direct service in Latin America.
After its successful exit from the restructuring process under the Chapter 11, the brazilian GOL Airlines has turned its strategy again towards regional dominance. The company reported astonishing growth in 93% in its international traffic, a movement that complements the general trend of intra-regional capacity, which has more than tripled since 2004.
Argentinian airlines expanded its operations by 36%, capitalizing on a strong rebound in Argentine broadcast demand driven by favorable exchange rates.
Avianca maintained its constant rise with an increase in 29% in your traffic.
Market share and capacity in GIG (first trimester 2026)
OAG Schedules Analyzer data for the first quarter of 2026 confirm the leadership of GOAL at its main base, although the competitive landscape remains diversified:
- GOL Airlines 43.4%
- LATAM Airlines Group 19.3%
- Azul Airlines 7.5%
- JetSMART 6.3%
This concentration of capacity underlines the strategic importance of Rio de Janeiro as a hub for domestic and international flows. Although the region currently enjoys a growth rate of +15.9% in passenger traffic compared to 2019, the discussions in Routes Americas 2026 suggest that the opening of new routes will continue to be the main driver to raise these figures even further.
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