São Paulo–Congonhas Airport (CGH) is one of the major airports serving the São Paulo metropolitan area. It is a domestic hub, in contrast with the busier, larger, and very well-connected internationally, São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU).
CGH is located 8 km south of downtown São Paulo, in the Vila Congonhas district, which gives it its name. It is much closer to the city center than GRU, thus preferred by domestic and business travelers.
São Paulo–Congonhas handled over 24 million passengers in 2025, ranking second on the list of the busiest airports in Brazil.
Major Airlines - LATAM, Gol Linhas Aéreas, Azul
Only three carriers operate flights to and from CGH - the three main Brazilian airlines:
LATAM Airlines Brasil: CGH is a key hub for LATAM’s Brazilian branch. Its most popular route is São Paulo <-> Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont), on which LATAM provides a flight every 30-60 minutes. Other popular destinations include Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, and Curitiba.
Gol Linhas Aéreas: GOL is the closest thing to a low-cost airline in Brazil. It offers the greatest number of routes from CGH at 40, operating about as many flights as LATAM (~3000 per month).
Azul Brazilian Airlines: Azul’s market focus is on providing flights to underserved locations in Brazil, but from Congonhas, it mainly flies to Brazil’s largest cities.
There are only domestic flights from São Paulo–Congonhas. Most international flights to the city land at Guarulhos Airport, and a few use the smaller Viracopos Airport (VCP) in Campinas.
See the live departure board at CGH.
Terminal Layout and Gates
Congonhas has only one terminal with a current capacity of around 20 million passengers per year, which it regularly exceeds. Thus, a major expansion is underway (2024-2028), which will increase the capacity to 30 million.
As of 2026, the terminal includes 12 jetway gates (1-12), which will be increased to 19 by 2028, and 10 bus/walk gates (13-22).
The layout is standard for a modern airport:
Lower Level (Ground Floor): The Arrivals Area, including baggage reclaim and transportation.
Upper Level (First Floor): The Departures Area, including check-in counters, the Security checkpoint, all boarding gates, and several shops and cafes.
Free Wi-Fi and other services
There is free Wi-Fi throughout the terminal. Connect to the “.AEROPORTO-WIFI-GRATIS-AENA” network and follow the on-screen prompts to authenticate. There’s no time limit, though you may have to reconnect after a few hours.
Other passenger services at CGH include:
ATMs: Several machines of the largest banks in Brazil are available in the Central lobby - Mezzanine, near Gate 4 (airside), and on the Ground Floor in Arrivals.
Currency exchange: Provided by Cotação Exchange, located on the first floor, landside.
Information desk: In Arrivals.
Pharmacy: Drogaria São Carlos is located in the South Wing, landside.
Clinic: Located in the Check-in corridor with access to the central lobby.
Everywhere-SPA: Located in Departures, on the 1st floor, and in the Central lobby on the Ground floor. Open between 4 AM and 11 PM.
Baby changing rooms: Available in the Central lobby and near Gate 7 in Departures.
Luggage storage: Located underground. Prices are between 20 and 35 BRL per bag per day.
Lost & Found: Open from 6 AM to 11 PM in the Central Lobby, on the 1st floor.
Multisensory room: open from 7 AM to 9 PM near Gate 4.
Lounges at São Paulo–Congonhas Airport
Aena, the managing entity of the airport, maintains 4 Sala Vip lounges in different areas of CGH:
Sala VIP - Ambaar Lounge: Located in the boarding area on the first floor.
Sala VIP Bradesco: Located in the Departure lounge on the first floor, opposite Gate 5.
Sala VIP – Latitude/BRB: Located in the Central lobby on the first floor.
Sala VIP - Advantage: Located in the Central lobby on the first floor.
All four lounges are open between 4 AM and 11 PM. They offer complimentary food and beverages, free Wi-Fi, charging points, seating areas, TVs, reading materials, and workstations.
Access is complimentary to holders of various credit cards and lounge membership passes. Pay at the door may be available at some of the lounges.
Dining Options at CGH
With over 35 cafés, bakeries, casual dining outlets, restaurants, dessert shops, and convenience stores, it’s safe to say that there’s something for whatever you’re craving in Congonhas Airport.
Most outlets open around 4:00 AM and close at 11:00 PM, which matches the operating hours of the airport.
Some of the notable places to eat and drink at CGH include:
Bom Senso Restaurant: Brazilian and Portuguese food on the second floor.
Giraffas - Restaurant: A Brazilian fast food chain famous for its burgers. Find it in Arrivals, on the ground floor.
Kozinha Árabe: Arabic cuisine in Departures, on the first floor.
Sabiá Do Parque: Offers casual and comfort food in the Boarding Room on the first floor.
Noar Chopperia: The only bar at CGH. Located in Departures with kiosks near Gates 4 and 11.
Le Pipoquê: Specializes in gourmet pipocas (popcorn). Located in the Departure lounge on the first floor and in the remote boarding lounge.
Baked Potato: Easy to eat jacket potatoes in the underground area.
Kozinha Café: One of the best cafes at CGH. Located in the Boarding Room on the first floor.
Starbucks: A branch of the world-famous coffee chain is located in the Central Lobby on the Ground Floor.
Bolo de Rolo: Sells the famous Brazilian cake from the state of Pernambuco. Located in the Departure Lounge on the first floor.
Nutty Bavarian: Offers a selection of fresh, roasted, or glazed nuts with several kiosks in CGH, including near Gates 4 and 7.
Transport to and from Congonhas Airport
One of Congonhas Airport’s best advantages is that it’s so close to the city center of São Paulo. The driving distance is just 11-12 km, which takes less than 25 minutes under normal conditions.
The cheapest way to reach the city center is to combine the metro with a bus.
The São Judas metro station on the Blue Line 1 is the closest one to CGH. To reach the station, you can take bus route 609J/10 Aeroporto or 875A-10 Aeroporto from the airport.
Alternatively, take one of the Airport Luxury Express buses, which stop on the lower level of the airport, close to the parking lot and taxi ranks.
Bus tickets cost 4.40 BRL, whereas the metro tickets cost 5 BRL.
The fastest mode of transport remains the taxis. Taxi Radio, Regular Taxi, and Ponto 606 have cars available on taxi ranks on the Ground floor and underground. Fares to the city center are around 50-70 BRL.
Parking at CGH
The airport offers one multi-level parking facility right in front of the terminal. It includes 2550 indoor spaces and 800 outdoor ones.
Parking fees start at 18 BRL for 1 hour, 26 BRL for the first 2 hours, 5 BRL for each additional hour, and a daily maximum of 86 BRL.
Hotels near São Paulo–Congonhas Airport
Although there are no hotels within the terminal or the airport grounds, more than a dozen options exist on the other side of Av. Washington Luis, thus within walking distance of CGH.
Examples of popular, good, and affordable hotels are the Aero Plaza Hotel (2 stars, 600 meters from the terminal), the ibis São Paulo Congonhas (3 stars, 400 meters from the terminal), and the Hotel Slim São Paulo Congonhas (3 stars, 700 meters from the terminal).
There are several business hotels and mid-range chains within a 10-minute drive, particularly in the Moema and Vila Olímpia districts. Many of the upscale hotels offer complimentary shuttles to and from CGH.
Click here to see more airport hotels near Congonhas Airport.
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