Airport Name and ICAO/IATA Code
Example: International Airport (ICAO: EDDM / IATA: MUC)Recife-Guararapes/Gilberto Freyre International Airport (IATA: REC, ICAO: SBRF)
Location (City, Country)
Recife, in Pernambuco
Airport Type & Size
It is a medium-sized airport, with a built area of over 70,000 m² after its last expansion. It is considered the largest in the Northeast in terms of built area and the busiest in the region, with a runway of 2,751 meters in length.
Passenger Terminal
Ground floor: Arrival area, with car rental agencies, banks, cafes and general services.
First floor: Access to check-in with 64 counters for various airlines, boarding lounges with 16 gates and VIP lounges.
Second floor: Restaurant area and view of the runway.
Why should this airport be added to World of Airports?
The Recife airport hub is the Recife/Guararapes – Gilberto Freyre International Airport (REC), the main airport for Azul Airlines in the Northeast. Besides being a passenger hub for Azul, connecting the Northeast region to the South, Southeast, and North of Brazil, it is being developed to become an important logistics hub.
Passenger hub: The airport is a central point for Azul, offering a large number of flights connecting Pernambuco to other parts of Brazil and abroad.
Logistics hub: Aena Brasil is implementing a plan to transform the airport into a logistics hub, focusing on services, cargo transport, and hotels, with the goal of generating jobs and consolidating the city as a business and transportation center in the Northeast.
Major Airlines & Routes
The main airlines operating at Recife Airport are Azul, Gol, and LATAM, which offer domestic flights to several Brazilian cities such as São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, and Fortaleza. Internationally, TAP operates flights to Lisbon, Copa Airlines to Panama City, and Azul offers routes to the United States and other destinations in South America, such as Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
Main Airlines and Routes
Azul: Offers direct flights to more than 30 cities, with popular domestic destinations including São Paulo, Campinas, Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, and Rio de Janeiro. International routes include Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Montevideo, and Buenos Aires.
Gol: Operates flights to several Brazilian cities such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Salvador, and Fernando de Noronha. It also has international routes to Buenos Aires, Santiago, and Montevideo.
LATAM: Connects Recife to various Brazilian cities, with highlights including São Paulo, Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, and Fortaleza. International routes include Buenos Aires.
TAP Air Portugal: Operates the direct flight from Recife to Lisbon.
Copa Airlines: Offers direct flights to Panama City, with connections to various international destinations.
JetSMART: Connects Recife to Buenos Aires with direct flights.
Route Highlights
Most frequent domestic routes: São Paulo, Brasília, Salvador, Fortaleza, and Rio de Janeiro.
Regional routes: Aracaju, Belém, João Pessoa, Maceió, Natal, São Luís, Manaus, and other cities within Pernambuco such as Caruaru and Petrolina.
Most popular international routes: Lisbon, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and Panama City
Unique Features or Challenges
Recife Airport has unique characteristics, such as its excellence in punctuality — it is frequently recognized as the most punctual airport in Brazil and one of the best in the world. It also serves as an important hub for the Northeast region and has already surpassed pre-pandemic passenger traffic levels. As challenges, the airport must deal with strong winds and heavy rainfall in the area, which affect operations and require precision from pilots, despite ongoing improvements in infrastructure.
Unique Characteristics
Punctuality and recognition: Consistently ranked among the most punctual airports in Brazil and listed among the best in the world, having been recognized as Brazil’s best regional terminal in 2020.
Northeast hub: Plays a crucial role as a logistics and service center, driving the economic development of the Northeast region and concentrating key productive activities.
Above-average traffic: The only Brazilian airport to surpass pre-pandemic passenger numbers, showing consistent growth in 2023 and 2024.
Continuous expansion: Currently undergoing expansion projects, including new boarding bridges and additional domestic and international routes recently announced.
Challenges
Weather conditions: Faces challenges with strong winds and frequent rain, which can impact landing and takeoff operations, requiring specific pilot skills and potentially reducing visibility.
Natural and urban obstacles: Its densely urbanized and coastal location places it near natural and man-made obstacles, which can complicate certain aircraft maneuvers.
Physical limitations: Despite renovations and expansions, the terminal’s infrastructure still faces some structural and physical constraints inherited from the past, which must be addressed to meet the growing passenger demand.
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