Guarulhos International Airport
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Governor Andre Franco Montoro International Airport (IATA airport code GRU) - better known as Guarulhos Airport- is an airport that serves São Paulo, Brazil, located in Guarulhos municipality, 22 km northeast of the São Paulo city centre. It is sometimes called Cumbica International Airport, after the suburb in which it is located. Cumbica is also the name of an adjacent air force base.
Guarulhos has two runways: 09L/27R is 12140 feet (3700 metres) long and 09R/27L is 9843 feet (3000 m) long. Both are at an altitude of 2459 feet (749.5 m). A third runway is under consideration, and beginning of construction is expected in 2006, expected to be 1800 x 30 m long.
The airport has 2 passenger and 5 cargo terminals, with a new passenger terminal under planning as of 2004. Several modifications in both terminals were made to alleviate congestion until the beginning of construction of T3.
Guarulhos, Brazil's largest international airport, will, along with airports at Recife, Salvador, Maceió, Brasília and Rio de Janeiro, benefit from a US$1.65 billion upgrade plan that Infraero (the Brazilian airport authority) will carry out between 2003 and 2006.
In 1999, 16.5 million people passed through Guarulhos International Airport. By the time Infraero's plan to modernise Brazil's airports is complete in 2006, it was hoped that this number will be close to 28.5 million, but since then, the number fall to 11.5 million, being surpassed by Congonhas Domestic Airport as São Paulo's busiest airport, which movimented 12.5 million in 2003.
Airlines
The following major international airlines fly into Guarulhos:
- Aerolíneas Argentinas
- Aeroméxico
- Air Canada
- Air France
- Alitalia
- American Airlines
- Avianca
- British Airways
- BRA
- Continental Airlines
- Copa Airlines
- Cubana de Aviación
- Delta Airlines
- Gol
- Iberia Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- KLM
- LanChile
- Lloyd Aereo Boliviano
- Lufthansa
- Nacional Transporte Aéreo
- Pluna
- South African Airways
- Scandinavian Airlines
- Swiss International Air Lines
- TAP
- TAM
- Air Portugal
- United Airlines
- Varig
- Via Brasil
Many of these airlines have lounges at Guarulhos, most of which have internet access and mobile phone support, along with two meeting rooms for corporate executives.
There are also several restaurants, bookstores and cafés in the airport.
The airport alone is responsible for 35% of Infraero's income.
External Links
- Guarulhos Airport Official Website (http://www.infraero.gov.br/usa/item_gera.php?gi=instempr&menuid=inst)