Curitiba Airport Guide: Southern Brazil’s Foggy Hub
Curitiba Airport, officially Afonso Pena International, serves the capital of Parana. Explore its two runways, Azul base, routes, cargo and winter fog.
By The Aviation Hub
6 min read
Updated October 20, 2026 
Curitiba Airport, known officially as Afonso Pena International Airport, serves the capital of Parana state in southern Brazil. It lies in the neighbouring municipality of Sao Jose dos Pinhais, about 11 miles (18 km) south east of the city centre, on a plateau roughly 900 m above sea level. Around 6 million passengers use it each year, which places it among the busier airports in Brazil, and it is a notable cargo gateway for the industrial belt around the city.
Curitiba Airport at a Glance
Curitiba Airport’s IATA code is CWB and its ICAO code is SBCT. Its elevation of 911 m (2,988 ft) and position in a damp, cool part of Brazil make it one of the more weather affected fields in the country. There are two asphalt runways, 15/33 and 11/29, and a single large passenger terminal with 14 jet bridges and a design capacity of about 15 million passengers a year.
Traffic reached roughly 6.1 million passengers in 2025, up around 17 per cent on the previous year. Azul treats the airport as a focus city and is the biggest carrier, with Gol and LATAM close behind. CCR, since renamed Motiva, took over from the state agency Infraero in 2021, and Motiva sold its airports to the Mexican group ASUR in a deal completed in August 2026. Opening hours, parking and flight status are on the airport’s official website.
How Curitiba’s Airport Came to Be
The field was built during the Second World War by Brazil’s Air Ministry with help from the United States Army. It was finished in 1945 but saw little military use, and on 24 January 1946 it was dedicated as a civil airport. The original terminal served until 1959, when a second building took over.
On 15 July 1985 the airport was named after Afonso Augusto Moreira Pena, the sixth president of Brazil, who died in office in 1909. The second terminal lasted until 1996, when the current building opened. It covers 45,000 square metres, and the old terminal was converted into the cargo facility.
The main runway was lengthened in 2008 and the cargo terminal was upgraded at the same time. Ahead of the 2014 World Cup, which brought matches to Curitiba, the apron was enlarged and new taxiways laid. Privatisation in 2021 handed Curitiba Airport to CCR as part of a package of southern Brazilian airports.
Runways at Curitiba Airport
Runway 15/33 is the main strip at 2,218 m (7,277 ft) long and 45 m wide, with an asphalt surface. It was extended in 2008 and handles almost all commercial traffic, including the Boeing 777 and 747 freighters that call for cargo. Given the elevation and the length, long haul passenger flights can face payload limits.
The auxiliary runway, 11/29, is 1,798 m (5,899 ft) long and 45 m wide. It is too short for most jets and relies on older navigation equipment, so it is mostly used by general aviation and in crosswinds. The real operational issue is weather. Winter mornings bring dense fog and low cloud, and runway 15 has a Category II instrument landing system to cope. Upgrading it to Category III is planned, which would allow landings in almost zero visibility and cut the diversions that plague June, July and August.
Terminals and Airlines
A single passenger terminal at Curitiba Airport handles both domestic and international flights, with 14 jet bridges and additional remote stands on the apron. The layout is straightforward and the terminal has plenty of spare capacity, so connections are easy.
Azul is the dominant airline and uses Curitiba as a focus city, flying Embraer E195-E2s, Airbus A320neos and ATR 72s on a wide domestic network. Gol operates Boeing 737s, mainly to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and LATAM flies A320 family aircraft and links the airport with its hubs in Santiago and Lima through LATAM Chile and LATAM Peru. JetSMART and Aerolineas Argentinas add further international competition, and TAP Air Portugal provides the only direct European service.
Cargo is a distinctive strength. Cargolux, LATAM Cargo and Lufthansa Cargo all serve the airport with freighters, carrying car parts, electronics and agricultural goods for the Parana economy.
Routes and Destinations
Sao Paulo is the busiest market from Curitiba Airport by a long way, with flights to both Congonhas and Guarulhos running almost hourly through the day. Rio de Janeiro Galeao, Brasilia, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte and Campinas are the other major domestic links. Azul connects a string of smaller cities, including Foz do Iguacu and Londrina, and LATAM plans to add Cuiaba and Londrina from March 2027.
The international network is compact. TAP’s Lisbon service is the longest route and the main link to Europe, while Santiago, Lima and Buenos Aires Aeroparque connect Curitiba Airport with the rest of South America. Traffic is fairly even across the year, with peaks in July for the Brazilian winter holidays and over Christmas and New Year. Winter fog, rather than demand, is the seasonal factor that shapes the timetable.
Getting to and from Curitiba Airport
There is no rail link. The Aeroporto Executivo shuttle once linked the terminal with the city centre in about 30 minutes, but it was suspended during the pandemic, so check whether it is running before relying on it. Ordinary metropolitan buses also serve the airport and are cheaper, though slower, usually need a change and are less convenient with luggage.
Taxis and ride hailing apps are readily available and the journey to the centre takes around 30 minutes outside the rush hour, with fares typically between R$60 and R$90 (roughly £9 to £13). Car hire companies have desks in arrivals, and multi storey and long stay car parks sit in front of the terminal.
Spotting and Photography
At Curitiba Airport, the terminal’s upper level has large glazed areas facing the apron, and this is the easiest place to watch the Azul E2s and LATAM A320s turning round. Outside, the roads of Sao Jose dos Pinhais to the north of the runway 15 threshold give good views of arrivals when the wind favours that direction, which is common. Freighter movements are the highlight, with Cargolux 747-8Fs and Lufthansa 777Fs regular visitors.
Light is best in the morning for the 15 approach and in the afternoon for aircraft on 33. Fog often lifts by mid morning in winter, so patience pays. Local police do not take kindly to people loitering by fences. Stay on public ground, be open about what you are doing, and avoid photographing security areas.
What Comes Next
With a terminal built for 15 million passengers and current traffic around 6 million, Curitiba Airport has plenty of terminal space. The big project is airside. In August 2026 the state environmental agency licensed a third runway, 3,000 m long and costing about R$800 million, with works expected to take around 28 months. A Category III landing system on runway 15 is also planned. ASUR, which now holds the concession after buying Motiva’s airports, is expected to continue investing under its terms.
Growth will come from Azul and LATAM adding domestic frequencies and from the cargo sector. A second European route or a United States link would be a logical next step once the longer runway opens. The airport looks set for steady, unspectacular expansion. Compare it with its South American neighbours on our Airports of the World map.
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