The top freight airports in Latin America are vital hubs for cargo transportation, handling significant volumes of goods annually. Here are some of the most prominent ones:

São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), Brazil: This is the busiest airport in Brazil and a major cargo hub, handling a substantial amount of both domestic and international freight. Located in Guarulhos, a city known for its extensive industrial park and strategic location for multimodal logistics solutions, GRU is just 20 km from São Paulo, the largest industrial and commercial centre in the country. As the largest airport logistics complex in Latin America, it plays a crucial role in Brazilian logistics, connecting 34 countries, all state capitals, and major Brazilian cities with over 720 daily flights operated by 40 national and international airlines.

Covering an area of 97,000 sq m, GRU Airport Cargo handles products from various industries, including electronics, pharmaceuticals, textiles, food and beverage, and automotive parts and accessories. Its location in Guarulhos provides easy access to major highways that link the airport to the rest of the country. The availability of daily regular flights also ensures greater capacity and efficiency in freight transportation.

Ongoing investments in GRU Airport Cargo, totalling $8 million, are focused on expanding and improving airport infrastructure to enhance capacity and efficiency for freight shipping.

GRU once handled the Antonov An-225, the now-destroyed largest aircraft in the world when it flew from the airport for Santiago, Chile with the largest cargo ever transported in the history of Brazilian aviation, and the second in the world. The strategy was co-ordinated by GRU Airport’s Operations and Logistics teams, from receiving and storing the cargo to the aircraft´s departure.

The cargo consisted of a 155-tonne transformer, equivalent to 135 medium-sized cars, manufactured by ABB, an energy and automation technology company. The operation required receiving and storing cargo, a few days before the flight, defining aircraft stand, loading location, positioning cranes, portals, rails, security and other requirements.

El Dorado International Airport (BOG), Bogotá, Colombia: El Dorado is one of the largest and most important cargo airports in Latin America and serves as a central hub for the region, with extensive cargo facilities. It is an international airport serving Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, and its surrounding areas. Primarily located in the Fontibón district of Bogotá, the airport also extends into the Engativá district and reaches the municipality of Funza in the Western Savanna province of the Cundinamarca Department. With 760,000 tonnes of cargo passing through in 2023, it is Iberoamerica’s most important cargo hub. El Dorado is also the busiest and most significant airport in Colombia, handling nearly half (49%) of the country’s air traffic. The facility covers 1,700 acres (6.9 sq km) and features two 3,800m-long runways. El Dorado offers non-stop international flights to destinations in North America, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East.

Mexico City Juarez International Airport (MEX), Mexico: This airport is a key logistics hub for Mexico, managing a significant portion of the country’s airfreight. Juárez is operated by state-owned Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA) and owned by Grupo Aeroportuario de la Ciudad de México. The Mexican Navy commenced management of the airport on October 7 2023.

Viracopos-Campinas International Airport (VCP), Brazil: Having won Airport of the Year at the recent Air Cargo Week World Air Cargo Awards 2024 and located near São Paulo, Viracopos is another crucial cargo airport in Brazil, known for its modern facilities and extensive freight services. Viracopos Airport serves the southeast Brazilian city of Campinas, located 100km north of São Paulo, Latin America’s second biggest city. The airport is one of three major facilities serving the wider São Paulo region, together with Guarulhos and Congonhas. Campinas is served by three of Brazil’s four main carriers. The dominant carrier is Azul, who maintain their hub at Campinas and whose extensive network accounts for the airport being the fifth busiest in Brazil by movements.

Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), Quito, Ecuador: This airport plays a significant role in cargo transport, especially for perishable goods like flowers, which are a major export from Ecuador.

Valentine’s Day marks the peak cargo season at Quito Airport, with operations ramping up this year until February 11, 2024. This period is critical for the airport’s cargo operations, especially given that 92% of the cargo transported from Quito consists of flowers.

To ensure efficient service during this busy time, significant improvements have been made to the airport’s facilities. The manoeuvring area in the cargo apron and the palletising area for cargo processing have been expanded, adding 2,880 sq m to enhance efficiency and comfort in cargo reception and processing. This expansion is the result of strategic investments by companies specialising in cargo palletising, including Novacargo, Servipallet, Pertraly and Novasan.

With advanced infrastructure and the operations of over 15 cargo airlines, both regular and charter, Quito Airport anticipated an increased export tonnage for this Valentine’s 2024 against 2023. This expected growth was attributed to the increased capacity offered by the cargo airlines operating at the airport.

Ramón Miró, president and CEO of Quiport, expressed his enthusiasm at the time: “We maintain our commitment to the development of the air cargo industry in Ecuador. The expansions and strategic collaborations with palletising companies demonstrate our dedication to facilitating airport cargo services at Mariscal Sucre. We are excited about the projected growth and are confident that our airport will continue to play a fundamental role in this area.”

At the international cargo terminal, four palletising companies assembled the flower box pallets. These pallets were stored in cold rooms until they were shipped to their destinations. Additionally, Mariscal Sucre Airport houses a logistics centre where various cargo agencies consolidate flowers from different producing farms, ensuring a streamlined process for flower exports.

Lima Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM), Peru: As the primary airport in Peru, Jorge Chávez handles a substantial amount of the country’s cargo traffic. As part of the expansion works at the airport, Lima Airport Partners (LAP), the airport’s operating company, has been developing the Callao Logistics Park, a pioneering project, the first of its kind, set to commence operations in 2024 within the Airport City. This ambitious endeavour aims to establish itself as a state-of-the-art logistics storage infrastructure, specifically designed for the efficient management, distribution and storage of goods.

“The Callao Logistics Park is the first Airport City project set to commence operations. The entire first phase has already surpassed 80% completion, underscoring the commitment of LAP, LatAm Logistics and Capia. This project aligns with LAP’s real estate business model, aiming to develop available areas around the airport operation,” said Joseff Monzón, LAP representative.

Alicia Izquierdo, real estate programme manager of LAP, emphasised that this project will roll out class A warehouses, optimising available sq m in the Chalaca Region (El Callao Region). “This new infrastructure will zero in on mass storage, retail and pharmaceutical activities. Thanks to its strategic location near the airport and port of Callao, it stands out as an enticing centre for both national and international investments.”

Álvaro Chinchayan, general manager of the Callao Logistics Park, highlighted that the construction of this project, with an investment of $53 million, has generated more than 300 direct jobs in its first phase. Upon operation, it is expected to create over 1,000 direct jobs in the Lima and Callao regions.

The Callao Logistics Park will be the country’s first last-mile warehouse rental condominium, featuring a construction of approximately 96,000 sq m of covered warehouse space, to be developed in four completely distinct phases. Currently, the initial phase is underway, encompassing an average of approximately 15,000 sq m. This phase will commence operations upon co-ordination with the setup of each tenant’s interior spaces within the warehouse.

Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), Buenos Aires, Argentina: This airport is the main international gateway to Argentina and a key player in regional airfreight. Buenos Aires Airport, officially named Ministro Pistarini International Airport but commonly referred to as Ezeiza Airport due to its location, is situated 31 km (19.2 miles) southwest of downtown Buenos Aires. Ezeiza Airport is not only the largest airport in Buenos Aires but also the largest aerodrome in Argentina. It handles domestic flights and over two-thirds of the country’s international flights. The airport boasts three terminal buildings and two runways, capable of accommodating aircraft of any size.

These airports are equipped with advanced cargo facilities and serve as essential links in the supply chain, facilitating trade and commerce across Latin America and beyond.