Rio de Janeiro – Brazil’s Secretariat of Civil Aviation released passenger numbers spanning July 31 to August 6, in connection with the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The nine airports that handled arrivals in the country welcomed close to 3 million passengers. Despite the heavy influx, only 4.4% of flights were delayed.
A survey showed that in São Paulo alone, Guarulhos airport handled 715,000 people, and Rio’s two airports – Galeão/Tom Jobim and Santos Dumont – handled a combined 595,000 passengers during the first week of the Olympics.
Passenger numbers are expected to peak again on the 12th as people arrive to watch track and field and artistic gymnastics events; and from the 20th to the 22nd, when events will close and athletes will return to their countries. The minister of the Secretariat of Civil Aviation Maurício Quintella said 95,000 people are expected to leave Brazil then.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
