📋 Tender Overview
Civil aviation in the southern region of Brazil reached a historic milestone in October 2025. Data from the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) reveal that, in that month alone, 1,178,785 passengers boarded at the regions airports. The number represents the best performance for a month of October in the entire historical series, which began 25 years ago.
More than an isolated statistic, the result symbolizes the full recovery and economic resilience of the Southern states (Parana, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul). As had happened in September, the volume of passengers once again surpassed the pre-pandemic level (2019) in comparison with the same period evaluated, which had registered 1.13 million boardings, and shows a vigorous recovery in relation to 2024 (923 thousand), a year marked by the logistical challenges imposed by the floods in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, relates these results to the improvement in the economy. Achieving the best result in boardings in two decades is no small feat. This demonstrates peoples confidence in the economic recovery and the strength of the aviation market in the South region. We are seeing passengers returning to fly, both for leisure and business, which validates all the efforts we have made to rebuild and support the sector, he said.
This demonstrates peoples confidence in the economic recovery and the strength of the aviation market in the South region
The record breaking was not just restricted to the month of October. The demand for air travel originating in the region has been consistent throughout the year. From January to October 2025, 10,945,746 passengers took off from airports in the South. This amount surpasses the old record, from 2019 (10.6 million), and represents a significant jump compared to the same period last year, when 9.1 million passengers were registered.
This historic high reflects the heating up of regional economic activity. With a thriving agribusiness and a diversified industry, the South generates an intense flow of corporate travel. At the same time, the recovery of purchasing power and consumer confidence have boosted leisure tourism, transforming air transport into an essential item in the routine of southerners, and not just an option for special occasions.
Busiest airports
In terms of terminals, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul leads the ranking of shipments in the year to date, reaffirming the strategic importance of Salgado Filho Airport for regional logistics. Between January and October 2025, Porto Alegre recorded 2,912,768 passengers originating in the city. The performance is closely followed by the terminals in Curitiba (Sao Jose dos Pinhais), with 2,462,015 boardings, and Florianopolis, which added 2,046,119 passengers in the period.
Highlights of the South region
The survey also demonstrates the strength of regional and tourist hubs, which maintain robust flows of travelers. Navegantes (SC) and Foz do Iguacu (PR) appear prominently, registering 927,294 and 918,409 passengers, respectively. Other important hubs, such as Maringa (PR) and Londrina (PR), also presented impressive numbers, with 356 thousand and 293 thousand shipments in the year.
Integration with Mercosur
Anac data also highlights a unique characteristic of aviation in the region: the strong integration with South America. When analyzing international flights originating in the South, a unique tourism and business dynamic is observed that takes advantage of the geographic proximity to Mercosur neighbors.
In October, Chile consolidated itself as the main direct international destination, accounting for around 41% of passengers, followed by Argentina, with 35%. Together, these two countries concentrate more than three quarters of the regions international movement, demonstrating that the South of Brazil functions as a strategic regional connection hub, reducing dependence on connections in other major centers in the country. Completing the list of the top five are Panama, with 8.52%; Portugal, with 7.39%; and Peru, with 4.64%.
Special Social Communication AdvisoryMinistry of Ports and Airports
