Brazil Plans 2026 Increase to Santos Dumont Cap, Setting Off Clash Over Rio Air Hub Policy

Overview

• Ports and Airports Minister Silvio Costa Filho confirmed the Santos Dumont limit will rise by about 1–1.5 million passengers next year, taking the cap toward roughly 8 million.
• ANAC held technical meetings with airlines after a December 17 directive on a transition regime and rejected Mayor Eduardo Paes’s claims of “hidden forces,” citing transparent, documented processes.
• The Rio city government petitioned the TCU to scrutinize the planned easing and will meet the minister in the second week of January to seek an alternative it says protects Galeão.
• Business groups Firjan and Fecomércio-RJ warned a higher cap could sap Galeão’s gains, pointing to strong recent growth in passengers and cargo after the 6.5 million limit was imposed at Santos Dumont in 2023.
• The TCU-endorsed repactuação models a gradual relaxation at Santos Dumont but notes the schedule is nonbinding, as the Galeão sale-assisted auction proceeds toward March 30, 2026 with a R$932 million minimum bid.