Brazil

South America

22Airlines

3Profiled Airports

20With ICAO

12With Callsign

Aviation History

Brazil holds a distinctive place in aviation history through Alberto Santos-Dumont, whose 1906 flight of the 14-bis in Paris is celebrated in Brazil as the first true public demonstration of powered, heavier-than-air flight. Domestic aviation developed through early carriers such as Varig, founded in 1927 in Porto Alegre, which became Brazil's dominant international airline for much of the 20th century. The state-backed manufacturer Embraer, founded in 1969, grew into one of the world's largest aircraft makers, particularly in regional jets. Market deregulation from the 1990s onward, the 2001 arrival of low-cost carrier GOL, and Varig's 2005-2006 bankruptcy reshaped the industry, which today is dominated by LATAM Brasil, GOL and Azul.

✦Many Brazilians credit Santos-Dumont, rather than the Wright brothers, as the true inventor of the practical airplane, since his 1906 flight was publicly observed and independently certified.

✦Embraer is regularly ranked among the world's largest commercial aircraft manufacturers, particularly in the regional-jet segment.

✦Brazil's enormous size and limited rail network have made domestic air travel unusually important relative to many other large countries.

1906

Santos-Dumont flies the 14-bis in Paris

Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont flew his 14-bis aircraft in Paris, an event widely regarded, especially in Brazil, as the first publicly witnessed and officially certified powered flight.

1927

Varig founded as Brazil's first airline

Varig (Viação Aérea Rio-Grandense) was founded on 7 May 1927 in Porto Alegre, becoming Brazil's first airline and later its leading international carrier.

1969

Embraer founded as state aircraft manufacturer

Embraer was established in 1969 as a Brazilian government-backed aerospace company; it was privatized in 1994 and grew into a major global manufacturer of regional and business jets.

1976

TAM founded, later becomes LATAM Brasil

TAM (Táxi Aéreo Marília) was founded in 1976 and grew into one of Brazil's largest airlines before merging into the LATAM group.

2001

GOL launches Brazil's low-cost airline model

GOL Linhas Aéreas began operations in 2001, introducing low-cost domestic flying to the Brazilian market and challenging established carriers.

2005

ANAC created as Brazil's civil aviation regulator

Brazil created the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) in 2005 to regulate civil aviation, replacing the former military-run aviation department.

2006

Varig collapses into bankruptcy

Financial pressures, high costs and increased competition led Varig into bankruptcy; its operating assets were later acquired by GOL in 2007.

2012

TAM and LAN merge to form LATAM Airlines Group

Brazil's TAM merged with Chile's LAN Airlines in 2012 to create LATAM Airlines Group, the largest airline group in Latin America.

Notable Carriers

LATAM Brasil (formerly TAM) · GOL Linhas Aéreas · Azul Linhas Aéreas · Varig (historical) · Embraer (manufacturer)

General aviation history sources (Wikipedia, Britannica, Embraer and Varig corporate histories); current airline market shares and manufacturer rankings are time-sensitive and approximate.

Aviation Firsts

Oldest Airport — contested

Afonsos Air Force Base (Campo dos Afonsos) — Rio de Janeiro (1912): Opened 12 Dec 1912 — the oldest airfield found in Brazil, but military (Air Force Academy / Aerospace Museum today), never a commercial airport. · Wikipedia ↗

Campo de Marte Airport — São Paulo (1929): Opened 26 Jul 1929, the first airport built in São Paulo; still operating but with no scheduled commercial service today (general aviation/helicopters/Air Force). · Wikipedia ↗

São Paulo–Congonhas Airport — São Paulo (1936): Opened 12 Apr 1936 (planned since 1919); today a major commercial hub (24.5M passengers in 2025). · Wikipedia ↗

Santos Dumont Airport — Rio de Janeiro (1936): Opened 30 Nov 1936 as Calabouço Airport; today a domestic hub. · Wikipedia ↗

No source claims an overall 'oldest in Brazil' title. The answer depends on definition: oldest airfield overall (Afonsos, 1912, military), oldest in São Paulo (Campo de Marte, 1929, no scheduled service today), or oldest major commercial airport still handling scheduled passengers (Congonhas/Santos Dumont, both 1936).

Oldest Airline — contested

Varig (1927): Founded 7 May 1927 in Porto Alegre out of the German Condor Syndikat — the earliest-founded Brazilian airline verified. Split in 2006; fully absorbed into Gol by 2009, with the RG code/callsign retired in 2008. The Varig brand survives only as a Gol sub-brand. · Wikipedia ↗

Serviços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul (Syndicato Condor) (1927): Founded 1 Dec 1927 in Rio de Janeiro; absorbed into Varig on 1 Jan 1993. · Wikipedia ↗

Varig (1927) is the earliest-founded airline verified, but it is not 'still operating' in any independent sense — there is no Brazilian pioneer-era airline still flying independently; Varig is oldest only by founding date/lineage, not continuity.

First Foreign Ground Handler

Swissport (Switzerland): Per Swissport's own corporate history, shortly after its 1996 incorporation it 'expands into the UK, Germany and Brazil' — no exact year given beyond 'after 1996.' Best-documented candidate, not a source-confirmed 'first.' dnata (UAE) separately acquired a stake in Brazil's RM Ground Services in Nov 2015 — its own press release frames this as "dnata's first step into the South American continent" (a claim about dnata, not about Brazil specifically), and it postdates Swissport's mid/late-1990s entry regardless. (best-documented candidate found — not source-confirmed as literally first.) · Swissport ↗