Travelers across Brazil in Shock as Airports in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo Face 25 Flight Cancellations and 348 Delays by GOL, LATAM Brasil and Azul Brazilian Airlines, New Update
Published on
December 13, 2025
An unexpected wave of flight disruptions has paralyzed air travel across Brazil. Travelers are facing massive delays and cancellations at key airports in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Today’s operational chaos involves 25 cancelled flights and 348 delayed flights. Major Brazilian carriers are struggling to maintain their schedules. GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes and LATAM Brasil are the most heavily affected airlines. These problems are hitting both domestic hubs and international gateways. Passengers must now manage abrupt changes to their travel plans. This crisis highlights the fragility of the nation’s high-traffic air corridors. The immediate focus is now on recovery efforts and rebooking stranded travelers across the country.
The total tally of disruptions was not evenly distributed, with facilities serving the sprawling São Paulo metropolitan area absorbing the bulk of the operational strain.
At São Paulo-Congonhas Airport, a facility primarily serving high-frequency domestic routes, the highest number of overall disruptions was recorded. A total of 12 flights were cancelled and 148 flights were logged as delayed. This volume of disruption positioned Congonhas as the single most delay-affected airport on the day, with over half of the total cancellations being attributed to this one location.
Meanwhile, at São Paulo-Guarulhos Int’l, the nation’s primary international gateway, a significant level of instability was also encountered. Guarulhos reported 7 total cancellations and 138 total delays. This indicates that while the domestic hub of Congonhas suffered more delays, the international gateway was by no means insulated from the operational challenges. Both major São Paulo airports were therefore subjected to substantial operational pressures simultaneously.
The third facility, Rio de Janeiro/Galeao Intl, while experiencing fewer raw numbers, still faced a considerable impact. This key air hub for Rio de Janeiro reported 6 total cancellations and 62 total delays, an outcome that nevertheless represents a major impediment to scheduled service for the region. The combined impact across these critical nodes of air travel in Brazil resulted in a complex and challenging day for airport operations staff and travelers alike.
The primary carriers operating within Brazil bore the brunt of the day’s operational setbacks. Four distinct airlines were cited in the reports regarding cancellations and delays.
GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes was identified as the most heavily affected carrier, reporting a combined total of 19 cancellations and 117 delays across the three airports. Specifically, 11 of these cancellations and 68 delays were registered at São Paulo-Congonhas, with a further 6 cancellations and 30 delays occurring at Rio de Janeiro/Galeao Intl. The remaining GOL disruptions included 2 cancellations and 19 delays at São Paulo-Guarulhos Int’l.
LATAM Brasil was the second most impacted carrier, with a reported 4 cancellations and 75 delays. The majority of LATAM’s operational difficulties were registered at São Paulo-Congonhas, where 1 cancellation and 53 delays were noted. An additional 3 cancellations and 22 delays were recorded at São Paulo-Guarulhos Int’l.
Other carriers were also affected, albeit to a lesser degree. Azul Brazilian Airlines registered 1 cancellation and 1 delay at São Paulo-Guarulhos Int’l. Additionally, Swiss International Air Lines was affected by a single cancellation at the same São Paulo-Guarulhos Int’l facility. It must be noted that the individual airline breakdowns only account for 193 of the 348 total delays reported by the airports, indicating that other operational factors were at play or that other, minor carriers may have also been affected.
The disruption of air travel within Brazil, particularly at major tourism and business gateways like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, is expected to have ripple effects on the local tourism sectors. With 25 cancelled flights, thousands of passengers’ itineraries were immediately affected, necessitating the rebooking of onward connections, hotels and planned tours in both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The sheer volume of 348 delays, in turn, impacts ground transport and pre-arranged transfer services, placing unexpected stress on local infrastructure. As a result, visitor confidence in timely travel to and from major cities across Brazil could be negatively affected. Furthermore, any lost operating time by major carriers such as LATAM Brasil and GOL due to these severe disruptions may require complex scheduling adjustments over the following days, thus prolonging the impact beyond the immediate 24-hour window of the incident. The crucial role played by São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro as the main entry points to Brazil means that service interruptions at these airports reverberate throughout the entire national travel landscape.
In the wake of mass cancellations and extensive delays, specific actions are advised for passengers whose journeys were impacted at airports such as São Paulo-Congonhas, São Paulo-Guarulhos Int’l, or Rio de Janeiro/Galeao Intl. Affected travelers should immediately contact their operating airline—be it GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, LATAM Brasil, or Azul Brazilian Airlines—to confirm their flight’s latest status and discuss available rebooking options. Travelers should not rely solely on generalized airport information screens. All documentation related to the original booking and the disruption, including boarding passes and any communication from the carrier, should be diligently retained. Passengers should be aware that, depending on the nature of the disruption, carriers are typically obligated to provide assistance in the form of rebooking onto the next available flight. For those experiencing extended delays, inquiries regarding meal vouchers or accommodation, as mandated by local regulations, should be made directly at the airline’s customer service desk. Proactive communication and documentation are the most effective tools to mitigate the challenges presented by this widespread operational disruption across Brazil.
-The information provided is sourced from FlightAware.
