Category:
Rio earned 37% more in the first half of 2025 from services related to the airport sector
Published on 29/09/2025 - 17:42 | Updated
The investment is part of the Municipal Program to Promote New International Air Routes - Marcos de Paula/Rio City Hall In the first half of 2025, the city of Rio de Janeiro recorded a 37,2% real growth in ISS revenue, adjusted for inflation, based solely on taxes from airport services. R$34,4 million was collected, compared to a total of R$25,1 million in taxes collected in the first six months of 2024. The survey was conducted by the City of Rio, through the Municipal Secretariat for Economic Development (SMDE) and Riotur, and analyzed various activities in the sector, including airport logistics, airport utilization, warehousing, goods handling, and airport support.
"The numbers prove that Rio's airport sector has seen an increase following the coordination measures between Galeão and Santos Dumont airports. This only reinforces the importance of the work being done to restore Galeão and gives us even greater confidence that we're on the right track," emphasized Osmar Lima, Municipal Secretary of Economic Development.
The subgroup that addresses airport passenger movement recorded real growth of 22,3% in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. According to the SMDE and Riotur, the survey shows how the coordination policy between Rio's airports impacted passenger volume, increased cargo, and, consequently, revenue. The study reinforces the importance of coordination between Rio's City Hall, the State Government, and the Federal Government, which resulted in the imposition of a flight limit at Santos Dumont.
"The results reinforce how major events play a decisive role in driving our economy. Carnival, New Year's Eve, Rock in Rio, Web Summit, and many others not only attract tourists but also increase demand for airport-related services. These data show that Rio has the capacity to welcome millions of visitors with quality and to transform this vocation into economic development, job creation, and revenue for the city," said Riotur president Bernardo Fellows.
Coordination policy between airports began in 2021
The decision to rebalance Rio's airport operations was consolidated after more than two years of discussions, culminating in an agreement between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Mayor Eduardo Paes, in partnership with the state government. The measure aimed to contain the emptying of Galeão, which, between 2019 and 2022, suffered a 58% reduction in the number of passengers, becoming only the 10th busiest airport in Brazil (2022).
Mayor participates in the signing ceremony of the new Galeão concession contract
The strategic role of the airport sector for Rio
Strengthening the airport sector has a direct impact on job creation, economic development and the competitiveness of Rio de Janeiro as a global tourism and business destination. International comparisons demonstrate the potential of this sector: in the United States, for example, the country's approximately 500 airports generate 9,6 million jobs and generate US$ 1,1 trillion, representing 7% of GDP.
Furthermore, with its strong tourism and economic potential, Rio welcomes hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists annually to cultural and business events such as Carnival, New Year's Eve, Rock in Rio, and Web Summit Rio. Besides tourism, Rio's economy is heavily based on the services sector, which accounts for 86% of the city's GDP, with emphasis on sectors such as healthcare, technology, finance, and construction.
Studies by the SMDE indicate that a strengthened airport sector could, in 10 years, increase the GDP of the state of Rio de Janeiro by R$50,6 billion and generate 684 thousand new jobs. This growth would also have an impact on the national scenario, adding 0,6% to Brazil's GDP in the same period.
News
