Aena wins concession auction for Rio's Galeao airport with $552 million bid

Flughafen Zuerich AG

30/03/2026 20:56

SAO PAULO, March 30 (Reuters) - Spanish airport operator Aena AENA.MC on Monday won the concession auction to operate Rio de Janeiro's Galeao international airport, securing a contract to run Brazil's third-busiest airport until 2039.

Aena's winning bid totaled 2.9 billion reais ($552.10 million).

Brazil's government had set a minimum price of 932 million reais.

Aena outbid Zurich Airport and a consortium of Vinci Compass and Singapore's Changi, which currently runs Galeao.

Galeao handled a record 17.8 million passengers last year, up from 14.5 million in 2024.

Under the concession contract, Aena will run 100% of Galeao's operations and pay the government 20% of its annual gross revenue.

That marks a change from a previous contract under which the government held a 49% stake through state-run firm Infraero.

Aena already operates several Brazilian airports, including Sao Paulo's Congonhas, the country's second-busiest.

($1 = 5.2527 reais)

 (Reporting by Gabriel Araujo and Alberto Alerigi Jr., Editing by Natalia Siniawski)

 ((Gabriel.Araujo2@thomsonreuters.com; +55 11 5047-3352;))