São Paulo – One of Brazil’s largest airports, Riogaleão in Rio de Janeiro, will be auctioned on March 30. This week, the Ministry of Ports and Airports, in partnership with the Brazilian civil aviation regulator ANAC, the Special Secretariat for the Investment Partnerships Program (Seppi), and the Office of the Chief of Staff, is holding virtual roadshows with potential bidders for the terminal, which handled 17.5 million passengers in 2025, including 5.6 million on international flights.
The roadshows began on Tuesday (3) and will conclude next Thursday (5). They present details of the concession tender. The auction will follow an assisted sale model, as defined in an agreement with Brazil’s federal audit court (TCU) involving the Ministry of Ports and Airports, ANAC, and Riogaleão.
The terminal was granted to the private sector in 2014, when Singapore’s Changi Airports took over 51% of the operation. The remaining 49% is still held by the state-owned Infraero, which will exit the airport after the auction. Last year, Changi reduced its stake in Riogaleão by selling 35.7% to Vinci Compass, now the airport’s main shareholder.
In a statement to ANBA, the Ministry of Ports and Airports said that information about the groups taking part in the roadshows is restricted. “However, it is important to note that there are currently companies in the market with sufficient maturity and capacity to take part in the auction even if they did not join the asset presentation roadshow,” the ministry said in a note sent to the report. The ministry added that the number of roadshow participants should not be considered the total number of parties interested in the re-auction process.
According to the tender notice, the bidding is open to the market. Current shareholders may take part in the auction if they submit at least one bid at the minimum auction price of BRL 932 million (USD 178 million). In addition to making an upfront payment, the winning bidder will be required to pay an annual variable contribution equivalent to 20% of the concession’s gross revenue through 2039.
Among Arab airlines flying to Brazil, only Emirates currently operates at the Rio de Janeiro’s terminal. Royal Air Maroc previously flew to Galeão (formerly Tom Jobim International Airport) in the early 1990s and has expressed interest in resuming flights there in the near future.
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Royal Air Maroc to increase São Paulo flights
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
