Recife/Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre International Airport Explained

Recife/Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre International Airport
Nativename:	Portuguese: Aeroporto Internacional do Recife/Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre|italic=yes
Image2-Width:	250
Iata:	REC
Icao:	SBRF
Lid:	PE0001
Type:	Public
Metric-Elev:	yes
Elevation-F:	33
Elevation-M:	10
Coordinates:	-8.1264°N -34.9228°W
Pushpin Map:	Brazil
Pushpin Label:	REC
Pushpin Map Caption:	Location in Brazil
Metric-Rwy:	yes
R1-Number:	18/36
R1-Length-F:	9,026
R1-Length-M:	2,751
Stat-Year:	2023
Stat1-Header:	Passengers
Stat1-Data:	9,046,145 4%
Stat2-Header:	Aircraft Operations
Stat2-Data:	84,516 5%
Stat3-Header:	Metric tonnes of cargo
Stat3-Data:	50,756 19%
Footnotes:	Statistics: AENA^[1] Sources: Airport Website,^[2] ANAC,^[3] DECEA^[4]

Aeroporto Internacional do Recife/Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre is the airport serving Recife, Brazil. Since December 27, 2001 it is named after the Recife-born Anthropologist and Sociologist Gilberto de Mello Freyre (1900–1987).^[5] Some of its facilities are shared with the Recife Air Force Base of the Brazilian Air Force.

Since 2019 it is operated by AENA, a Spanish public corporate.

History

Originally called Ibura Airport, the airport had its name changed to Guararapes Airport in 1948. The facility originated during World War II, when a new airport was built to replace the earlier airfield, Parque do Encanta Moça. With the end of the War, the facility became strategically important as a technical and refueling stop on the route from South America to Europe.

On July 21, 1953, within a law prescribing rules for the naming of airports, the name of the facility was officially and exceptionally maintained as Guararapes Airport.^[6]

On 18 January 1958, a new passenger terminal was inaugurated, replacing the original facility. During this time, runway 14/32 was extended from 1800to, and runway 18/36 was extended from 1,800 m to 2400m (7,900feet).

In 1979, an agreement with Infraero was made in order to further develop the airport complex. The passenger terminal underwent its first major renovation in 1982, and another enlargement occurred in 1990.

In 2004, a brand-new passenger terminal was built, including a new shopping mall, thus generating more traffic and revenue. Furthermore, a new concourse was opened in 2004, and the airport's capacity increased from 1.5 to 9 million passengers/year. Today, the runway is 3300abbr=offNaNabbr=off long, the longest in Northeastern Brazil.

On 31 August 2009, Infraero unveiled a BRL 8.75 million (US$4.6 million; EUR 3.2 million) investment plan to upgrade Guararapes International Airport, focusing on the preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Recife being one of the venue cities. The investment was spent in finishing the passenger terminal renovation and installing eight more jetways.^[7] The work was completed on 1 July 2011, and the airport was then considered ready for the FIFA Cup.^[8]

Responding to critiques to the situation of its airports, on May 18, 2011, Infraero released a list evaluating some of its most important airports according to its saturation levels. According to the list, Recife was considered to be in good situation, operating with less than 70% of its capacity.^[9]

Previously operated by Infraero, on March 15, 2019, AENA won a 30-year concession to operate the airport.^[10]

The Brazilian Integrated Air Traffic Control and Air Defense Center, section 3 (Cindacta III) is located in the vicinity of the airport.^[11]

The facility covers 319 hectares (788 acres) of land.^[12]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Note:

Flights operated with Voepass equipment on behalf of LATAM Brasil.

Cargo

Statistics

Following is the number of passenger, aircraft and cargo movements at the airport, according to Infraero (2007-2019) and AENA (2020-2023) reports:^{[13] [1]}

Year	Passenger	Aircraft	Cargo (t)
2023	9,046,145 4%	84,516 5%	50,756 19%
2022	8,725,495 16%	80,230 10%	62,817 3%
2021	7,523,046 56%	73,247 52%	61,020 63%
2020	4,836,890 44%	48,044 41%	37,543 17%
2019	8,714,119 3%	80,887 3%	45,111 2%
2018	8,422,566 8%	78,766 5%	44,442 26%
2017	7,776,881 14%	75,099 9%	35,310 21%
2016	6,811,676 2%	69,108 4%	29,218 11%
2015	6,700,696 7%	72,080 4%	32,912 8%
2014	7,190,381 5%	75,418 8%	35,625 13%
2013	6,840,276 6%	81,824 1%	31,494 3%
2012	6,433,410 1%	82,997 1%	32,483 33%
2011	6,383,369 7%	83,638 8%	48,152 27%
2010	5,958,982 13%	77,322 16%	38,018 15%
2009	5,250,565 12%	66,415 3%	44,758 22%
2008	4,679,457 12%	64,625 8%	57,264 5%
2007	4,188,081	59,781	60,381

Accidents and incidents

• 1 November 1961: a Panair do Brasil Douglas DC-7C registration PP-PDO flying from Sal to Recife, during its final approach struck an 84-m hill 2.7 km from the runway and broke up. The aircraft was doing a night approach too low and outside the regular traffic pattern. Forty-five passengers and crew out of the 88 persons aboard died.^{[14] [15]} The aircraft was operating the Voo da amizade (Friendship Flight).
• 11 November 1991: a Nordeste Embraer EMB110P1 Bandeirante registration PT-SCU, operating flight 115 from Recife to Maceió, during on initial climb had an engine failure followed by fire. The aircraft crashed on a populated area. All 13 aircraft occupants and 2 persons on the ground died.^{[16] [17]}
• 23 November 2008: a Beechcraft Super King Air operated by JC Show Ltda crashed 5 km (3.1 mi) N on final approach to REC when both engines quit possibly because of fuel starvation and carried out a forced landing in a residential area. Two occupants out of 10 on board died.
• 13 July 2011: a Noar Linhas Aéreas Let L-410 Turbolet registration PR-NOB operating flight 4896 from Recife to Natal crashed shortly after take-off from Recife. All 16 occupants were killed.^{[18] [19]}

Access

The airport is located 14km (09miles) from downtown Recife.

Recife's subway Airport Station is connected to the terminal by a footbridge. Besides main bus lines that serve the neighborhoods of Boa Viagem and Cidade Universitária, in Recife, and Piedade, in Jaboatão dos Guararapes.

See also

• List of airports in Brazil
• Recife Air Force Base

Notes and References

1. Web site: Estatísticas. Aena Brasil. 31 March 2024. pt.
2. Web site: Aeroporto Internacional do Recife Gurararapes-Gilberto Freyre. Aena Brasil. 3 May 2022. pt.
3. Web site: Aeródromos. ANAC. 29 June 2020. 9 April 2021. pt.
4. Web site: Guararapes - Gilberto Freyre (SBRF). DECEA. 30 August 2023. pt.
5. Web site: Lei nº 10.361, de 27 de dezembro de 2001. Presidência da República. 8 July 2002. 1 November 2023. pt.
6. Web site: Lei no 1.909, de 21 de julho de 1953. Presidência da República. 21 July 1953. 15 October 2023. pt.
7. News: Rittner . Daniel . Braga . Paulo Victor . Infraero vai gastar R$5 bi em reforma de aeroportos . Valor Econômico . A4 . 31 August 2009 . pt . 4 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110706155020/http://www.valoronline.com.br/ . 6 July 2011 . live .
8. Web site: Infraero conclui obra no Aeroporto Internacional do Recife . Diário de Pernambuco . pt . 1 July 2011 . 1 July 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111007112949/http://www.diariodepernambuco.com.br/economia/nota.asp?materia=20110630193900 . 7 October 2011 . dmy-all .
9. Web site: Governo muda critério de avaliação e 'melhora' desempenho de aeroportos. O Estado de S. Paulo. 19 May 2011. 20 May 2011. pt. 22 May 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110522054026/http://economia.estadao.com.br/noticias/economia+brasil%2Cgoverno-muda-criterio-de-avaliacao-e-%27melhora-desempenho-de-aeroportos%2Cnot_67673%2C0.htm. dead.
10. Web site: Governo obtém R$ 2,377 bilhões em concessão de aeroportos em blocos . ANAC . 15 March 2019 . 1 October 2019 . pt . https://web.archive.org/web/20190511213650/http://www.anac.gov.br/noticias/2019/governo-obtem-r-2-377-bilhoes-em-concessao-de-aeroportos-em-blocos/ . 11 May 2019 . live .
11. Web site: Cindacta III . https://archive.today/20120730181359/http://www.decea.gov.br/unidades/cindacta-iii/ . dead . 30 July 2012 . Brazilian Air Force: Departamento de Controle do Espaço Aéreo DECEA . pt . 4 May 2011 .
12. Web site: Characteristics-Recife Int'l Airport. aenabrasil.com.br. October 22, 2023.
13. Web site: Anuário Estatístico Operacional. Infraero. 12 April 2012. 31 March 2024. pt.
14. Web site: Accident description PP-PDO . Aviation Safety Network . 20 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121103224759/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19611101-1 . 3 November 2012 . live .
15. Book: Germano da Silva, Carlos Ari César . O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes 1928–1996 . Buraco negro . EDIPUCRS . 2 . Porto Alegre . 2008 . 197–203 . 978-85-7430-760-2 . pt.
16. Web site: Accident description PT-SCU . Aviation Safety Network . 20 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121103231130/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19911111-0 . 3 November 2012 . live .
17. Book: Germano da Silva, Carlos Ari César . O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes 1928–1996 . Fogo na decolagem . EDIPUCRS . 2 . Porto Alegre . 2008 . 364–369 . 978-85-7430-760-2 . pt.
18. Web site: Accident description PR-NOB . Aviation Safety Network . 13 July 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121104044138/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20110713-0 . 4 November 2012 . live .
19. Web site: Noar emite comunicado sobre acidente em Recife . Panrotas . 13 July 2011 . 13 July 2011 . pt . https://web.archive.org/web/20120317082442/http://www.panrotas.com.br/noticia-turismo/aviacao/noar-emite-comunicado-sobre-acidente-em-recife_69606.html . 17 March 2012 . dead .