Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) Airport

The Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport GRU is the busiest airport in Latin America ( formerly managed by Infaero), now operated by a private consortium of  Invepar/ACSA, which manages all of the three major airports serving the greater Sao Paulo metropolitan area, including Congonhas CGH, 8 km from city center, and the Viracopos Campinas VCP, 99 km from the city.  Currently, there is no new official website from the new operator. 

The Airport is located in the district of Cumbica, city of Guarulhos, in the metropolitan area of the City of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and is situated 25 km northeast of of Sao Paulo’s city center. The Tropic of Capricorn passes directly through the southern tip of the Airport. Guarulhos Airport is accessible by both the Presidente Dutra and the Ayrton Senna motorways, which connect directly to the Rodovia Helio Smidt (SP-019) acccess road into the Airport.

With two long runways and 32.7 million passengers in 2012, Sao Paul Guarulhos International is served by major domestic and international airlines offering direct and connecting flights to all points of the globe. The Airport is currently restricted to a maximum of 45 operations an hour.  Extension of the runways is to be completed by 2014.

NOTE: 1. International flights have their busiest departure hours in the evening (arrive three hours ahead of scheduled flight), and international arrivals have their busiest hours in the morning (making the immigration lines particularly slow-moving).  Due to ongoing construction work allow for plenty of time for check-in & departure, as well as for transfer.
2. Until April 2014, count on long lines, confusing signs, language problems (only Portuguese), and crowded facilities. Recent passenger reviews give the present service of the Airport a low mark and expressed concern that the April 2014 deadline for intended upgrade projects may be too optimistic.

Guarulhos International Airport has presently three operational passengers terminals - T1, T2 & T4:  While dual T1/T2 are in the center, domestic T4 is southwest, and T3 (under construction) is to the east.  Both T1 & T2 were under much needed renovation, now completed.

T1 & T2 are joined together - appearing as one long building - and currently serving mostly international flights:  Both Terminals have identical levels - Arrivals, Departures & Departure Lounges with two gate wings each -T1 at left has Wings B & A with corresponding gates; while T2 at right has Wings (Concourses) C & D with corresponding gates. 
Arrivals is on the ground level  and has outside bus & taxi stands; inside are rental car counters, Customs and baggage claim with ATM cash machines and currency exchange; elevators & stairs take you to level 2:
Departures is on level 2 with check-in counters and information desks on each side of the Aviation Authority offices.  Elevators and escalators take you to Departure lounges on level 3 for both terminals - partitioned by the Administration offices in the center.

Airlines currently serving Terminals 1 & 2: 
Terminal 1 - Concourse A:  Air France, Aeromexico, Aerolineas Argentina, Avianca, Alitalia, British, Delta, Ibereia, KLM, United, TRIP,  & Puma Air.
Terminal 1 - Concourse B:  El Al, Korean, TAM, Pantanal, Passaredo
Terminal 2 - Concourse C:  Air China,  Pluna, Turkish, TAAG &Webjet
Terminal 2 - Concourse D:  Aerosur, American, Air Canada, Boliviana, Copa, Emirates, Lufthansa, LAN, Qatar, South African, Swiss, TAP, TACA, & United.

Domestic Terminal 4, partially opened early 2012, just completed its second phase of construction, whereupon Webjet /GOL airlines moved into this terminal.

(Ongoing constrution on a new Terminal 3 is set for completion by April 2014, when the 190,000 square-meter terminal is to double total terminal space at the Airport. )

Services and amenities inside the terminals:  While there are some good shops to find Brazilian crafts and tourist souvenirs in the public areas of the terminals, finding services of any kind is rare once you pass through security. In the public areas, however, you can find the usual selection of restaurants, shops and duty-free shops, banks, ATM machines, currency exchange and book stores, and more.  Tourist Information desks are on the Arrivals floor of each terminal, along with Infraero Information counters. A business center is located on the Departures floor of the Administration building, offering fax machines & computers, and VIP lounges and two conference rooms are at your service.  Other amenities & services include a post office, drugstore, luggage wrapping, beauty parlor, rental cars, and more.

Parking Options at Guarulhos International:  Parking facilities are across from Terminals 1 & 2.  A Parking Garage and other parking facilities are to be added by April 2014.

Bus Transfer to Congonhas to Congonhas Airport is available from (a) EMTU, an Executive bus line, and (b) from GOL and TAM airlines who offer free bus transfer to their passengers.

To get from Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport to your destination, you can rent a car at the counters inside the Arrivals level of each terminal, or take a taxi, a shuttle or a bus; travel time to the city center fluctuates between 30 and 50 minutes, depending on traffic:
1. Taxis stands are in front of the Arrivals level of both terminals. However, it is best to go straight to the Rio de Janeiro State Tourism Authority desk and purchase prepaid taxi vouchers. If you prefer to go straight to the taxi stands, make sure that the taxi meter is cleared and that you have agreed on the fare before getting into the taxi.
2. EMTU executive service offers transport to Guarulhos Airport, Tiete Bus Terminal, Palmeiras-Barra Funda Intermodel Terminal, Itaim Bibi, Praca da Republica, Tatuape Metro Station, the hotels along Venida Paulista & Rua Augusta. Total time: 1 hour.
3. A much cheaper alternative is the Passaro Marron regular bus line conneting to Tatuape Metro Station &Guarulhos Airport. It runs every 30 minutes and ticket counters are in the arrivals area of both terminals.
4. Other bus connections include (a) Viacao Cometa to Santos, Sao Vicente & Paria Grande; (b) Passaro Marron to Sao Jose dos Campos (every 2 hours); (c) Viacao Transdutra to Aruja; (d) Gol & Tam airlines
5. CPTM is to open the new Onyx train line 14, called 'Airport Express' between 2012-14.