✈️ São Paulo business aviation accelerates its concentration toward Congonhas, as SBGR loses 20% in a year
Business aviation activity at São Paulo's two airports is contracting in tandem, but the pattern shows a clear divergence: as Latin America's largest business aviation market, the business aviation slots at SBGR—the primary hub for commercial aviation—are under pressure, with outflow noticeably faster than at SBSP, which is dominated by business aviation. Avi-Go data shows that within the comparable aligned window of January 1 to May 31, 2026, SBSP recorded 5,089 business aviation movements, down 8.2% from 5,545 in the same period of 2025 (daily average falling from 36.7 to 33.7); over the same period, SBGR dropped from 3,178 to 2,493 movements, down 21.6% (daily average falling from 21.0 to 16.5). Although both airports declined simultaneously, SBGR saw a steeper drop, confirming the trend of business aviation further concentrating at Congonhas (SBSP).
Impact: SBGR's business aviation slots continue to flow outward under pressure from commercial flights, and its business aviation support operations face shrinking demand; although SBSP still holds firm as the primary hub, its declining base also indicates that overall business aviation demand in São Paulo is somewhat weak.
Recommendation: FBOs and ground handlers positioned at SBGR should reassess the slots and resource allocation of their local business aviation operations within Q3 2026, tilting capacity toward SBSP; operators may lock in parking and support resources for SBSP peak periods in advance to address the capacity pressure brought by concentrated passenger flow.