São Paulo-Guarulhos was the busiest airport in South America in 2025, with 47,174,529 passengers, followed by Bogotá's El Dorado (45,475,084). Santiago airport came third, with 25,941,576 passengers (+0.3%), just ahead of Lima-Jorge Chávez (25,496,109). These are preliminary figures from Airports Council International Latin America and Caribbean (ACI-LAC), published by Aviacionline on May 6, 2026.
*Updated on October 19, 2026.* This ranking is updated on this same page whenever ACI-LAC releases new figures.
Busiest airports in South America in 2025: the ranking
| # | Airport | Country | 2024 passengers | 2025 passengers | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Paulo-Guarulhos (GRU) | Brazil | 43,565,746 | 47,174,529 | +8.2% |
| 2 | Bogotá-El Dorado (BOG) | Colombia | 45,802,406 | 45,475,084 | -0.7% |
| 3 | Santiago-Arturo Merino Benítez (SCL) | Chile | 25,840,584 | 25,941,576 | +0.3% |
| 4 | Lima-Jorge Chávez (LIM) | Peru | 24,499,252 | 25,496,109 | +4.0% |
| 5 | São Paulo-Congonhas (CGH) | Brazil | 23,130,523 | 24,491,178 | +5.8% |
| 6 | Rio de Janeiro-Galeão (GIG) | Brazil | 14,491,987 | 17,906,990 | +23.5% |
Source: ACI-LAC, preliminary 2025 data, via Aviacionline. The list only includes the South American airports that made the top 10 for passengers across Latin America and the Caribbean; ACI-LAC's summary did not publish figures for airports such as Aeroparque or Ezeiza (Buenos Aires), Brasília or Medellín, so the South American ranking beyond sixth place is incomplete.
The 10 busiest airports in Latin America and the Caribbean
| # | Airport | Country | 2025 passengers | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Paulo-Guarulhos (GRU) | Brazil | 47,174,529 | +8.2% |
| 2 | Bogotá-El Dorado (BOG) | Colombia | 45,475,084 | -0.7% |
| 3 | Mexico City (MEX) | Mexico | 44,605,576 | -1.6% |
| 4 | Cancún (CUN) | Mexico | 29,479,357 | -3.5% |
| 5 | Santiago (SCL) | Chile | 25,941,576 | +0.3% |
| 6 | Lima-Jorge Chávez (LIM) | Peru | 25,496,109 | +4.0% |
| 7 | São Paulo-Congonhas (CGH) | Brazil | 24,491,178 | +5.8% |
| 8 | Panama-Tocumen (PTY) | Panama | 20,978,865 | +8.6% |
| 9 | Guadalajara (GDL) | Mexico | 18,755,144 | +5.0% |
| 10 | Rio de Janeiro-Galeão (GIG) | Brazil | 17,906,990 | +23.5% |
The region as a whole passed 790 million passengers in 2025, 3.8% more than in 2024, according to the same report. The biggest jump in the top 10 was Galeão in Rio de Janeiro (+23.5%).
International traffic: Santiago sixth in the region
| # | Airport | 2025 international passengers | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panama-Tocumen (PTY) | 20,739,033 | +8.2% |
| 2 | Cancún (CUN) | 19,485,033 | -3.5% |
| 3 | Mexico City (MEX) | 17,482,146 | +2.2% |
| 4 | São Paulo-Guarulhos (GRU) | 16,805,814 | +6.9% |
| 5 | Bogotá-El Dorado (BOG) | 16,216,936 | +6.0% |
| 6 | Santiago (SCL) | 12,181,357 | +3.9% |
| 7 | Lima-Jorge Chávez (LIM) | 10,263,765 | +5.1% |
| 8 | Buenos Aires-Ezeiza (EZE) | 8,473,511 | +3.3% |
| 9 | San José (SJO) | 6,403,220 | +3.2% |
| 10 | Guadalajara (GDL) | 5,966,148 | +1.0% |
On international flights, Santiago was South America's third airport, behind Guarulhos and El Dorado, and sixth in the whole region. Almost half of its passengers (47%) travelled to or from abroad.
Does your airline, hotel or transfer service want to reach travellers planning their arrival in Chile?
See advertising optionsSantiago and Lima, the race for South America's third busiest airport
The gap between Santiago and Lima was just 445,467 passengers, and it is narrowing: Lima grew 4.0% in 2025 and Santiago 0.3%. In international traffic, Lima also grew faster (+5.1% against +3.9%).
Santiago airport's concessionaire, Nuevo Pudahuel, reported a slightly different year-end figure: 26.5 million passengers, with 14 million domestic and 12.5 million international, according to a Pulso story cited by Infraestructura Pública. Its CEO, Nicolás Claude, explained that domestic traffic fell 2% because several airlines had Airbus A320neo aircraft grounded by a global engine problem, while international traffic rose 4.6%. The difference with ACI-LAC may be due to different counting criteria; neither source explains it.
How Chile's air traffic is doing in 2026
2026 data from Chile's Civil Aviation Board (JAC), included in the September Tourism Barometer, show a flat year for Chilean flights, which makes it hard for Santiago to pull away from Lima.
| Chile air traffic (JAC) | August 2026 | January-August 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| International, vs 2025 | -2.8% | -0.6% |
| International, vs 2019 | +8.9% | +7.7% |
| Domestic, vs 2025 | -1.5% | -3.3% |
| Domestic, vs 2019 | -1.3% | +3.0% |
The JAC counts passengers carried to and from Chile, residents and non-residents, for any purpose. The drop in the Argentine market explains part of the international decline, while arrivals of long-haul tourists are growing.
What it means for travellers to Chile
- Santiago is the gateway: most long-haul tourists arrive through Arturo Merino Benítez airport; the breakdown by country is in our ranking of foreign tourists in Chile by country.
- More routes, more competition: the summer's new air routes to Chile compete with the Lima, Bogotá and São Paulo hubs.
- Domestic flights: to continue within the country, see our guide to getting around Chile and the Puerto Natales airport calendar, which will have works in 2027.
- Prices: airfares rose 29% in a year in Chile's CPI, as we explain in our analysis of travel prices in Chile.
How to cite this data
Viajando Chile (2026). *Busiest airports in South America in 2025: Santiago ranks third*. Based on preliminary ACI-LAC data. https://viajandochile.com/en/news/busiest-airports-in-south-america-2025
Frequently asked questions
Which is the busiest airport in South America?
São Paulo-Guarulhos, with 47,174,529 passengers in 2025 according to preliminary ACI-LAC data. It is also the busiest in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Where does Santiago airport rank?
Third in South America and fifth in Latin America and the Caribbean, with 25,941,576 passengers in 2025. In international traffic it is sixth in the region, with 12,181,357.
Santiago or Lima: which has more passengers?
Santiago, by 445,467 passengers in 2025. Lima grew faster (+4.0% against +0.3%).
