São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport
Facts on GRU
GRU is named for Guarulhos, the separate city bordering São Paulo where the airport actually sits, roughly 25 km from downtown São Paulo — not for São Paulo itself.
Source: Wikipedia - São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport
André Franco Montoro (1916–1999), the São Paulo governor honored in the airport's name, was a lawyer, law professor and senator who became a leading figure in the 'Diretas Já' movement demanding a return to direct presidential elections after Brazil's military dictatorship.
Source: Wikipedia
Since November 28, 2001, the airport's official name has also honored André Franco Montoro, a former governor of São Paulo state, though locals often still call it Cumbica Airport after the district it's built in.
Source: Wikipedia - São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport
Opened on January 20, 1985, GRU has grown into the largest airport in Brazil and all of Latin America, handling about 47.2 million passengers as of 2025.
Source: Wikipedia - São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport
In 2010, Guarulhos handled more than 26.8 million passengers, a 24% jump over 2009 that left traffic running 31% above the airport's rated capacity of 20.5 million a year — pressure that pushed operator Infraero to convert former cargo terminals into new passenger space.
Source: Wikipedia
Guarulhos runs two parallel runways, 3,000 metres and 3,700 metres long; the longer one was widened from 45 to 60 metres in 2015 specifically to receive the Airbus A380.
Source: Wikipedia
Brazil's aviation authority cleared A380 operations at Guarulhos on October 28, 2015, and on March 26, 2017 Emirates began daily A380 service from Dubai — the same day rival carrier Etihad ended its own São Paulo route.
Source: Wikipedia
Guarulhos is one of only five airports in Brazil with slot restrictions, capped at a maximum of 45 aircraft operations per hour.
Source: Wikipedia
The airport has repeatedly ranked among the world's most punctual: analytics firm OAG rated it the second-best in the world for on-time performance in 2017, first in Latin America, a ranking FlightStats echoed with the same position in 2019.
Source: Wikipedia