Brazil’s Brasília Airport has served more than 8.6 million passengers in the first half of the year, making it the second largest airport in the country, according to airport operator Inframérica.
This is a 13% increase from the number of passengers that the airport received during the same period in 2013, placing it on the second position after Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport.
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An increase in numbers is attributed to the $500m investment in the airport’s renovation and expansion, which made it possible to effectively handle higher levels of traffic.
Inframérica commercial director Daniel Ketchibachian was quoted by Routes as saying: "Winning second place among the busiest Brazilian airports is proof that our hard work and dedication are paying off.
"This result provides a favourable environment for new investments and new routes at the airport."
New boarding lounges, and the north and south pier has doubled the capacity of the new terminal from 13 to 29 jetways in six months.
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By GlobalData"Improvements will continue over the next years of the concession, with additional work to tailor the structure of the airport to the future demand," added Ketchibachian.
The airport has also been declared the best hub for domestic connections in Brazil, with approximately four million passengers connecting in the first half of this year. This is a 21% increase in comparison with the same period in 2013.
There was also a 13% increase in international passenger traffic, with movements of international passengers increasing by 17%. The airport claimed that the increase in numbers could be attributed to the opening of the Air France Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle route in March and the World Cup.
"Combined with our geographical location, passengers can save between three and five hours on their total journey time by connecting in Brasília," added Ketchibachian.
"International airlines are working actively with us to grow international operations, optimise connection opportunities and overall save on flight time and operational costs to serve the Brazilian market."
