Air Import Operations Suspended at São Paulo (GRU)
Guarulhos Airport (GRU) in São Paulo, Latin America’s largest air cargo gateway, has suspended receiving import general cargo for five days from 7th to 11th November.
Freight operations have coming under severe pressure recently due to an overflow of cargo and recent video footage shared on social media showed warehouses overflowing and rows of pallets being stored outside. Some were even occupying aircraft parking positions.
Freight groups, including airlines, had been pressuring Brazil’s Federal Government to intervene and freeze imports, which presumably led to this drastic decision.
A letter from stakeholders to the government said “This situation has reached its peak, generating an unsustainable and chaotic situation, with imminent risk of collapse of air operations and impacts on safety in the main Brazil airport.”
Several airlines temporarily suspended operations themselves at the airport last December when faced with a similar situation, leading to air freight shipments being delayed by up to two weeks.
