// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did Viracopos go to therapy? It had a lot of baggage.
Viracopos/Campinas International Airport Aeroporto Internacional de Viracopos/Campinas | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator |
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| Location | Campinas, Brazil | ||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||
| Time zone | BRT (UTC−03:00) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 661 m (2,169 ft) | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 23°00′25″S 047°08′04″W / 23.00694°S 47.13444°W | ||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||
DECEA airport chart | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2025) | |||||||||||
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| Statistics: Aeroportos Brasil[1] Sources: Airport Website,[2] ANAC,[3] DECEA[4] | |||||||||||
The Viracopos/Campinas International Airport (IATA: VCP, ICAO: SBKP) (sometimes referred to as São Paulo/Campinas or São Paulo/Viracopos) is an international airport serving the municipality of Campinas, in the state of São Paulo.
On 6 January 1987, the airport name was officially normalised to its present form.[5] It is named after the neighbourhood where it is located. It is operated by Aeroportos Brasil.
History
[edit]The IATA airport code of Viracopos is VCP and the specific city code of Campinas is CPQ. Sometimes both codes are used as one although there is a distinction between them in airline reservation systems: VCP, together with CGH (Congonhas) and GRU (Guarulhos), is part of the multiple airport system set around the city of São Paulo (code SAO). An airline that files services with the code VCP has flights displayed when passengers or travel agents request service from São Paulo, whereas flights filed with the code CPQ are displayed as service from Campinas, not São Paulo. A similar example is New York City (NYC), in which the airport codes LGA (LaGuardia Airport), JFK (John F. Kennedy International Airport), and EWR (Newark Liberty International Airport) are used for the same city, although Newark is located in a different city and state.[citation needed]
There are two versions of the origin of the name Viracopos, which means "turn (or overturn) glasses" in Portuguese and can be metaphorically understood as drinking a large amount of an alcoholic beverage at once. According to the first version, in the beginning of the 20th century, during an annual fair, there was a misunderstanding between the parish priest and the residents of the neighborhood. This resulted in excessive drinking and quarrels, in which the festival booths were torn down, or overturned, during the confusion. The name "Viracopos" was later used by the priest in sermons to refer to the event. Another version says that, on the site of the present airport, previously there had been a bar where herders had regularly met to exchange views and drink ("turn glasses"). So "Viracopos" was first the name of the district and later of the airport.[citation needed]

The origin of the Viracopos Airport can be traced to a simple airfield near Campinas built during the 1932 Constitutionalist Revolution in São Paulo. In 1946, shortly after World War II, the first runway was paved. In the following years, the airport began to take shape, with the construction of the first hangar in 1948 and the terminal in 1950.[6][7] During the 1950s, it started being used by cargo companies. In 1960, it was improved with a 3,240 m (10,630 ft) runway, long enough to accommodate the first generation of intercontinental jet planes such as the Boeing 707, de Havilland Comet, Vickers VC10, Convair 990, and Douglas DC-8, and the airport was officially inaugurated on 19 October 1960, same day where it also received its first international flight.[8] Furthermore, Viracopos Airport served (and still serves) as an alternate airport for Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport and São Paulo airports particularly because it rarely closes due to bad weather conditions (an average of only 5 days per year).[9]
After 1960, Viracopos became the primary international airport for São Paulo, because the runway of São Paulo-Congonhas Airport was too short to accommodate intercontinental jet planes. In practice, however, the distance of nearly 100 km (62 mi) from Viracopos to São Paulo made it very inconvenient for passengers and airlines. As a result, direct international passenger service was limited, because most international passengers simply opted to fly instead to Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport and then connect to Congonhas Airport, which is located very close to downtown. At that time, Viracopos even appeared on the Guinness Book of Records as the furthest airport from the city it allegedly served.[citation needed]
The airport's title as the main international airport of São Paulo ended in 1985 with the opening of São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport, and Viracopos entered into a decade of stagnation, with all international and most domestic flights transferred to Guarulhos and Congonhas.[8]
However, recognizing the strategic importance of Viracopos for the economy, Infraero, the airport administrator in 1995, started to implement a master plan of renovations aiming at the building of a new airport, focusing its efforts on the segment of cargo transportation. The first phase was completed in the first half of 2004, when the airport received new passenger departure and arrival lounges, public areas, commercial concessions and a new cargo terminal. The second phase of the passenger terminal expansion project was completed in 2005 and a new control tower was built, storage and processing facilities for the cargo terminal expanded, and the passenger terminal was entirely revamped. A third phase of expansion, which would build a second runway by 2013, was projected. However, since the airport was conceded in 2012, the deadline for the new runway was postponed until 2018.[citation needed]

Being the second busiest cargo airport in Brazil, Viracopos has 77,000 square meters (646,000 square feet) of cargo terminals, 1,700 square meters (18,300 square feet) for animal cargo, and 1,480 cubic meters (52,200 square feet) of refrigerated space. As a major import/export hub, Viracopos enjoys 'express lanes' for courier traffic which are exceptionally quick and unbureaucratic by Brazilian standards.[citation needed]
Between 2008 and 2010, passenger traffic grew from 1.02 million in 2008 to 7.5 million in 2011. The airport can handle 7 million passengers/year.[9] The number of flights offered has increased dramatically since Azul Brazilian Airlines made Viracopos its main hub.[citation needed]
In August 2009, the previous operator Infraero unveiled a R$2,814 million (US$1,482.6 million; €1,038.8 million) investment plan to upgrade Viracopos International Airport, focusing on the preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. The investment intended to provide a new runway, a new passenger terminal, and a new train route, with its main goal being to alleviate the air-traffic concentrated at Guarulhos International Airport.[10]

However, due to legal and bureaucratic issues, the Infraero original plan never occurred. Since the concession to Consortium Aeroportos Brasil, a new investment program focusing particularly on the construction of a new terminal was announced. The phase 1 of the new passenger terminal opened in May 2015.[11]

Responding to critiques to the situation of its airports, on 18 May 2011, Infraero released a list evaluating some of its most important airports according to its saturation levels. According to the list, Viracopos was considered to be requiring attention, operating between 70% and 85% of its capacity.[12]
Following a decision made on 26 April 2011 by the Federal Government for private companies being granted concessions to operate some Infraero airports,[13] on 6 February 2012, the administration of the airport was conceded, for 30 years, to the Consortium Aeroportos Brasil composed of the Brazilian Triunfo,[14] an Investments and Funds Society (45%), UTC Engenharia e Participações,[15] an Engineering and Investments Society (45%), and the French Aeroports Egis Avia[16] (10%).[17] Infraero, the state-run organization, remains with 49% of the shares of the company incorporated for the administration.[18][19][20]
The facility encompasses 1,766 hectares (4,364 acres) of airport property and contains one 3,240m runway.[21]
Airlines and destinations
[edit]Passenger
[edit]Cargo
[edit]Statistics
[edit]


Following are the number of passenger, aircraft and cargo movements at the airport, according to Infraero (2007-2012) and Aeroportos Brasil (2013-2025) reports:[71][72][1]
| Year | Passenger | Aircraft | Cargo (t) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12,826,553 | 124,613 | 271,711 |
| 2024 | 12,395,874 | 121,934 | 275,507 |
| 2023 | 12,524,219 | 125,857 | 294,094 |
| 2022 | 11,845,500 | 128,341 | 349,888 |
| 2021 | 10,045,361 | 105,320 | 357,368 |
| 2020 | 6,709,061 | 73,698 | 256,470 |
| 2019 | 10,585,018 | 114,459 | 216,447 |
| 2018 | 9,223,074 | 107,627 | 235,324 |
| 2017 | 9,332,631 | 108,635 | 198,876 |
| 2016 | 9,325,252 | 115,276 | 164,429 |
| 2015 | 10,324,658 | 127,395 | 177,285 |
| 2014 | 9,846,853 | 131,531 | 217,519 |
| 2013 | 9,295,349 | 127,252 | 235,182 |
| 2012 | 8,858,380 | 115,548 | 246,226 |
| 2011 | 7,568,384 | 99,982 | 267,946 |
| 2010 | 5,430,066 | 74,472 | 255,008 |
| 2009 | 3,364,404 | 55,261 | 184,745 |
| 2008 | 1,083,878 | 32,399 | 223,023 |
| 2007 | 1,006,059 | 29,226 | 229,402 |
Accidents and incidents
[edit]- 23 November 1961: an Aerolíneas Argentinas de Havilland DH-106 Comet 4 registration LV-AHR operating flight 322 from Campinas-Viracopos to Port of Spain after reaching an altitude of about 100m lost altitude, collided with a eucalyptus forest and crashed. All 12 crew and 40 passengers on board were killed. The accident was attributed to pilot error.[73]
- 26 September 1976: a Serv-Jet Learjet 25 struck trees during an instrument approach to runway 14 in heavy rain, and crashed 1500m short of the runway. All seven occupants died.[74]
- 4 January 1977: a Transbrasil BAC One-Eleven 520FN landed heavy at VCP because of an improper flare, causing the aircraft to bounce and touchdown nose gear first, collapsing the nose gear and causing a runway excursion. There were no fatalities among the 42 passengers and crew on board, but the aircraft was written off.[75]
Access
[edit]The airport is located 82 km (51 mi) northwest of the state capital city of São Paulo and 20 km (12 mi) southwest of downtown Campinas, adjacent to the Bandeirantes-Anhanguera highway complex, which connects the capital city to the interior of São Paulo state.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "Estatísticas e Publicações". Aeroportos Brasil (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Viracopos". Aeroportos Brasil (in Portuguese). Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ↑ "Aeródromos". ANAC (in Portuguese). 22 August 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ↑ "Viracopos (SBKP)". DECEA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Lei nº 7.585, de 6 de janeiro de 1987". Presidência da República (in Portuguese). 6 January 1987. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ↑ Basseto, Murilo (19 October 2020). "Aeroporto de Viracopos completa 60 anos de história comercial". AEROIN (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ↑ "O início do aeroporto internacional de Viracopos". www.arghi.com.br (in Portuguese). 18 May 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- 1 2 Azul Brazilian Airlines, ed. (2011). "Viracopos, o nosso escolhido". Bem-vindo à bordo (in Portuguese) (8). Campinas: Azul Brazilian Airlines: 23–25.
- 1 2 Torres, Carmen Lígia (2011). "Capital privado dá novo impulso: Plano do governo federal é criar o maior centro aeroportuário do país". Polo de inovação: Centros de pesquisa são a base do desenvolvimento (in Portuguese). São Paulo: Valor Econômico: 36.
- ↑ Rittner, Daniel; Braga, Paulo Victor (31 August 2009). "Infraero vai gastar R$5 bi em reforma de aeroportos". Valor Econômico (in Portuguese). pp. A4. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
- ↑ "Home" (in Portuguese). Viracopos. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ↑ "Governo muda critério de avaliação e 'melhora' desempenho de aeroportos" (in Portuguese). O Estado de S. Paulo. 19 May 2011. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
- ↑ Bitencourt, Rafael (26 April 2011). "Governo define concessão de obras em 3 aeroportos, diz Palocci" (in Portuguese). Valor Online. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
- ↑ "Home" (in Portuguese). Triunfo. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
- ↑ "Home" (in Portuguese). UTC Engenharia e Participações. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
- ↑ "Home". Egis Avia. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
- ↑ Rittner, Daniel (7 February 2012). "Cumbica, Viracopos e Brasília são privatizados" (in Portuguese). Valor Econômico. Archived from the original on 10 February 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
- ↑ Salomon, Marta; Monteiro, Tânia (1 June 2011). "Governo pretende privatizar três aeroportos e abrir o capital da Infraero" (in Portuguese). O Estado de S. Paulo: Economia. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
- ↑ "Brazil moves swiftly (at last) to award airport concessions". CAPA. 9 February 2012. Archived from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ↑ "Conheça o Consórcio Aeroportos Brasil que irá operar em Viracopos". Exame (in Portuguese). 6 February 2012. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ↑ "Facts about Campinas/Viracopos Int'l Airport". aeroportoviracopos.net. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ↑ "Azul anuncia voos conectando Campinas (SP) a Alta Floresta (MT)". Panrotas (in Portuguese). 24 January 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ↑ "Azul põe uma centena de voos extras para Aracaju na temporada de verão". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 9 September 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Araçatuba ganha mais uma frequência diária da Azul". Panrotas (in Portuguese). 13 August 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul reporta que transportou 116 mil passageiros no Pará durante o mês de setembro". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 27 October 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
- ↑ "Aeroporto de Confins passa a receber voos inéditos da Azul". Portal Eventos (in Portuguese). 14 January 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ "Azul retomará voos diretos de Campinas para Boa Vista, em Roraima". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 12 March 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ↑ "Azul começa a operar voo direto entre Campinas (SP) e Bonito (MS) com três partidas semanais". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 16 April 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Azul March 2025 Sao Paulo Viracopos/Campinas Network Addition". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
- ↑ "Aeroporto de Cascavel (PR) volta a ter dois voos diários para Curitiba". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 8 March 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul retoma voos do seu principal hub para Corumbá, em Mato Grosso do Sul". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 11 February 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul Linhas Aéreas terá mais de 450 voos extras no Aeroporto de Campinas-Viracopos na temporada de verão". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 11 November 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Em celebração pelos 252 anos de Campinas, Azul fala de suas operações em seu principal hub aéreo". 14 July 2026 (in Portuguese). Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ "Mais cinco destinos! Azul anuncia mais voos diretos partindo de Foz do Iguaçu". H2Foz (in Portuguese). 16 September 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul celebrou 14 anos no aeroporto de Joinville com mais de 936 mil passageiros transportados". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 29 November 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul deixa de voar para 12 cidades a partir de março; veja lista". Panrotas (in Portuguese). 24 January 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul aumenta frequência entre Campinas e Maceió com 12 novos voos semanais a partir de abril". aeroin (in Portuguese). 26 January 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul confirma segunda rota inédita para Madri, agora saindo de Campinas". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 7 March 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
- ↑ "Azul já realizou mais de 123 mil voos e transportou mais de 10,5 milhões de pessoas no Aeroporto de Manaus". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 22 April 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul volta a usar o ATR 72 nos voos a Marília, sendo recebido com batismo". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 16 September 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul terá dois voos diretos semanais de Palmas para Campinas a partir de 16 de junho". Jornal do Tocantins (in Portuguese). 3 June 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul confirma retorno das operações em Passo Fundo a partir de maio". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 26 January 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ "Azul reduz voos entre Pato Branco (PR) e Campinas enquanto aeroporto projeta expansão para atrair jatos". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 9 January 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ "Azul Linhas Aéreas terá mais de 450 voos extras no Aeroporto de Campinas-Viracopos na temporada de verão". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 11 November 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul celebra dois anos de voos para Ponta Porã (MS), com mais de 119.000 passageiros". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 31 January 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul anuncia volta de voos diretos do Aeroporto de Viracopos a Porto, Portugal, e Montevidéu, Uruguai". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 26 February 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ↑ Benevides, Gabriel (21 October 2025). "Azul restores its entire network in Porto Alegre and plans expansion for 2026". Aeroflap. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ "Azul celebra 15 anos de operação em Presidente Prudente, interior de São Paulo, com mais de 28 mil voos". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 15 April 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul celebra 15 anos no Galeão com mais de 9,3 milhões de passageiros transportados". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 19 February 2026. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul aumenta em 18% a operação no Rio de Janeiro com decisão recente sobre o Santos Dumont". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 1 December 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul anuncia voos diurnos e novo avião em voos para Rondonópolis". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 26 May 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul celebra 17 anos com voo comemorativo da rota inaugural". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 15 December 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
- ↑ Martins, Celso (9 October 2025). "São Luís terá voo direto para São Paulo a partir de 27 de outubro". Portal iG (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 April 2026.
- ↑ "Azul Linhas Aéreas trocará a origem de seus voos para Sorriso-MT, entrando Campinas no lugar de Cuiabá". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 22 January 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul inicia voos para o "Maior São João do Mundo"". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 3 June 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Azul retoma voos sazonais para Argentina e Curaçao durante férias de julho". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 3 June 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ "Azul lança rota sazonal direta ligando Campinas a Punta del Este no verão". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 18 December 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ↑ "Volta a ter voos comerciais o Aeroporto de Araraquara-SP, com operações da Azul Linhas Aéreas". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 14 October 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Aeroporto de Barretos-SP voltou hoje a ter voos comerciais, de Viracopos/Campinas com a estreia da Azul Conecta". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 17 December 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Enfrentando mau tempo na chegada, recomeçam os voos comerciais no Aeroporto de Franca-SP, pela Azul Conecta". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 16 December 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Azul Conecta celebra três anos de voos no aeroporto de Jacarepaguá com mais de 72 mil passageiros". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 4 November 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
- ↑ "GOL anuncia voos diretos entre Brasília e Campinas". Passageiro de primeira (in Portuguese). 16 July 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "Aeroporto do Galeão se ligará a mais destinos ao receber voos da GOL hoje feitos no Santos Dumont". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 1 August 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- ↑ "GOL reativa seu hub no aeroporto de Salvador". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "LATAM voltará a ter voos de passageiros no Aeroporto Internacional de Viracopos, em Campinas-SP". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 6 May 2025. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
- ↑ "Atlas Air Schedule". Atlas Air. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- ↑ "Viracopos recebe primeiro voo de nova companhia aérea cargueira que ligará Hong Kong, França e Brasil". Viracopos (in Portuguese). 25 June 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Avião que fez o voo inaugural da DHL tem problema e não consegue decolar de Campinas". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 11 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- 1 2 "Viracopos passa a receber voos cargueiros da Ethiopian Airlines". Panrotas (in Portuguese). 3 March 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- ↑ "FedEx inclui voos para mais um destino na América do Sul e um no Oriente Médio". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 24 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ↑ "Anuário Estatístico Operacional" (PDF). Infraero (in Portuguese). 12 April 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ↑ "Estatísticas". Infraero (in Portuguese). 20 May 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ↑ "Accident description LV-AHR". Aviation Safety Network. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
- ↑ "Accident description for PT-IBR". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ↑ "Accident description for PP-SDS". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Viracopos-Campinas International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- "Airport information for SBKP". DAFIF. October 2006 – via Great Circle Mapper.
- "Current weather for SBKP". NOAA/NWS.
- Accident history for VCP at the Wayback Machine (archived 2012-10-25) at Aviation Safety Network