Hundreds of Travelers Abandoned across Brazil as Airports in Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Porto Alegre and more Suffers Almost Forty Cancellations with Widespread Delays by LATAM Brasil, Azul Conecta, GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes and others, New Update

Published on November 1, 2025

A state of significant air travel chaos was gripping Brazil today, as airports in six of the nation’s major metropolitan areas experienced widespread operational failure. Hundreds of travelers were effectively abandoned across the country. The disruption was immediately evident with reports showing major hubs—including those in Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Campinas, Porto Alegre and Curitiba—suffering mass flight issues. Carriers like LATAM Brasil, Azul Conecta and GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes were responsible for the bulk of the problem, along with several other airlines. Collectively, the terminals suffered almost forty cancellations and were simultaneously plagued with widespread delays. According to FlightAware’s data, there’s a total of 38 cancellations with 348 delays reported. This severe service collapse across the nation’s airports required urgent attention from aviation authorities. The total number of affected passengers is unknown, but the scale of the delays and cancellations signals a major logistical crisis.

Major Airports Affected

The impact of the operational difficulties within Brazil was broadly distributed, with four airports recording 10 or more cancellations and delays combined. The metropolitan area of São Paulo was particularly hard-hit, as its two major airports accounted for over half of the total reported delays.

São Paulo-Guarulhos Int’l was recorded as having the highest volume of disruptions. A staggering 146 delays were logged at this international gateway, alongside 4 cancellations. The sheer number of delayed flights made Guarulhos the epicenter of the day’s travel gridlock.

São Paulo-Congonhas, the city’s secondary hub, registered the highest number of combined disruptions after Guarulhos, with 10 cancellations and 72 delays being recorded.

In Minas Gerais, Tancredo Neves Int’l (Belo Horizonte) saw the highest number of outright cancellations, with 11 flights being scrubbed. This high cancellation count was coupled with 37 delays.

Santos Dumont Airport (Rio de Janeiro), a critical coastal hub, was also significantly impacted, with 5 cancellations and 19 delays being documented.

Smaller, but still considerable, disruptions were noted at other major terminals:

• Viracopos Int’l (Campinas) recorded 4 cancellations and 36 delays.
• Afonso Pena Int’l (Curitiba) saw 2 cancellations and 21 delays.
• Salgado Filho Int’l (Porto Alegre) registered 2 cancellations and 17 delays.

The aggregate data reveals that the seven airports collectively managed a massive total of 386 affected flights (cancellations + delays) across Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Campinas, Porto Alegre and Curitiba in a single day.

Impacted Airlines

The responsibility for the day’s cancellations was primarily borne by four carriers: LATAM Brasil, Azul Conecta, Azul Brazilian Airlines and GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes. Additionally, one international carrier, Delta Air Lines, was also listed among the affected.

LATAM Brasil was identified as the carrier with the most widespread impact across multiple airports:

• São Paulo-Congonhas: 8 cancellations were attributed to the airline.
• Santos Dumont Regional: 4 cancellations were recorded.
• São Paulo-Guarulhos Int’l: 3 cancellations were logged.
• Salgado Filho Int’l: 2 cancellations were reported.
• A combined total of 17 cancellations were assigned to LATAM Brasil across these four major hubs.

Azul Conecta was the second-most-affected operator, being listed for all cancellations at three different airports:

• Tancredo Neves Int’l: 11 cancellations were recorded.
• Viracopos Int’l: 4 cancellations were reported.
• Afonso Pena Int’l: 2 cancellations were logged.
• A collective total of 17 cancellations were attributed to Azul Conecta.

The remaining cancellations were distributed as follows:

• Azul Brazilian Airlines was responsible for one cancellation at São Paulo-Congonhas and one at Santos Dumont Regional (2 total).
• GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes was listed for one cancellation at São Paulo-Congonhas.
• Delta Air Lines, an international operator, was listed for one cancellation at São Paulo-Guarulhos Int’l.

It should be noted that several other airlines were listed as having delays, indicating a systemic issue beyond the specific cancellation figures.

Probable Impact on Local Tourism

Given that the affected airports serve major metropolitan and tourism centers—including the economic hubs of São Paulo and the coastal attraction of Rio de Janeiro, alongside regional capitals like Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre and Curitiba—the documented disruptions might have immediate consequences for local tourism sectors. Passengers destined for hotels, pre-booked tours and connecting transport would have had their travel chains broken by the 38 cancellations. Furthermore, the large volume of 348 delays suggests significant stress was placed upon airport infrastructure and local ground transportation networks, potentially leading to missed reservations and reduced tourist confidence in the reliability of local air travel. The disruption of travel plans for hundreds of individuals is considered a short-term economic strain on the destination cities.

What Affected Passengers Can Do Now

Passengers across Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Campinas, Porto Alegre and Curitiba, whose flights were included in the list of cancellations or delays are advised to immediately initiate contact with their respective airlines. With LATAM Brasil and Azul Conecta being attributed a high number of cancellations (17 each), travelers on these carriers should prioritize rebooking arrangements.

Since multiple airlines, including LATAM Brasil, GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes and Azul Brazilian Airlines, were implicated in the cancellations at major hubs like São Paulo-Congonhas, it is recommended that travelers verify the status of their specific flight reservation. The same urgent attention is advised for the international carrier, Delta Air Lines, which had one cancellation reported at São Paulo-Guarulhos Int’l. Documentation of all travel changes and communications with the airline should be maintained by the affected passenger for potential future compensation or resolution processes.

-The information provided is sourced from FlightAware.