City Hall and RIOgaleão attract another international airline to Rio de Janeiro

Starting November 7, Rio de Janeiro will have a direct flight to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia's largest and most populous city. The new route will be operated by Boliviana de Aviación (BoA), connecting Rio de Janeiro International Airport (GIG) to Viru Viru International Airport (VVI), with two weekly flights aboard Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

The announcement was celebrated this Tuesday (August 26th) at a meeting in Rio, attended by Mayor Eduardo Paes; Deputy Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere; Invest.Rio President Sidney Levy; RIOgaleão President Alexandre Monteiro; the concessionaire's Director of Air Business, Patrick Fehring; and Rafael Louro, RIOgaleão's Aviation Development Manager. Also in attendance were BoA CEO Mario Borda and the airline's representatives in Brazil—General Director Victor Palenque and Commercial Director Fabiana del Castillo.
Currently, the Bolivian airline operates in Brazil only from São Paulo. The new regular route, which will be made available by BoA starting in September on the company's official channels, expands air connectivity from Rio de Janeiro and reinforces Rio International Airport's role as a gateway to the country.

Besides being a tourist destination, Santa Cruz de la Sierra is considered a strategic hub for connections within Bolivia—such as Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest and highest salt flat, La Paz, Cochabamba, and Sucre. The city combines culture, history, and lush nature, serving as a base for exploring attractions such as Amboró National Park and the Samaipata archaeological site.
Rio also has flights to Toronto and Montreal.

This news follows the announcement of the arrival of Canadian airlines Air Canada and Air Transat at RIOgaleão. Starting in December, Air Canada will begin flying three times a week to Toronto on Boeing 787-9 aircraft—a route that hasn't been available since 2016. In February, Air Transat will begin a weekly flight to Montreal and two to Toronto, operated on Airbus A330s.

The new flights are the result of airport coordination and a partnership between the City of Rio de Janeiro, through Invest.Rio, and the concessionaire RIOgaleão. The initiative aims to bring new routes to the city, further fostering international tourism and global connectivity in the Marvelous City.

Mayor Eduardo Paes also celebrated the news and highlighted the importance of the new routes for the city:

"This is another victory for Rio de Janeiro. Bolivia will become another international destination directly from Galeão Airport, making it even more connected to the world. With the revitalization of Galeão Airport, the city has benefited greatly from business and tourism," celebrated Eduardo Paes.

For Invest.Rio president Sidney Levy, the connection represents an opportunity to attract new investments and strengthen economic relations:

"This direct flight to Santa Cruz de la Sierra expands Rio's connectivity, strengthens our position as a gateway to South America, and opens up new opportunities, not only for tourism but also for business. With this, Galeão gains another international route, and Rio increasingly cements itself on the global aviation map."

"The arrival of this direct flight reinforces RIOgaleão's commitment to expanding the city's international connectivity and opening new opportunities for tourism and business. This achievement is the result of a joint effort with public and private partners working to consolidate Tom Jobim International Airport as one of Brazil's major hubs," said Alexandre Monteiro, president of RIOgaleão.

BoA CEO Mario Borda highlighted that the operation in Rio is strategic for the company's expansion in Brazil.

"This is a strategic step for BoA ​​and Bolivia. We want our passengers to see Rio de Janeiro not only as a highly relevant tourist destination, but also as a gateway to new business opportunities and cultural exchange. We are confident that this operation will further strengthen ties between our countries and expand BoA's presence in the Brazilian market."

Category:

• Invest.Rio
• News

August 26th, 2025

Appointments: Tom Jobim Airport airline Invest.Rio City Hall of Rio RIOgaleão flight