Contributor - South America

Richard Pedicini

São Paulo Catarina Executive Airport managing director Ronie Wiston Guimaraes said the annual Catarina Aviation Show—the latest edition of which runs through tomorrow—is growing in tandem with the airfield itself. He said this year’s three-day aviation fair has doubled in size versus 2024, while monthly business aircraft movements have climbed to 2,000, with about 10% of those being international flights.
To illustrate the growth of the annual luxury markets show (the event also attracts supercar and yacht dealers as exhibitors), Guimaraes highlighted the Airbus ACJ TwoTwenty, Dassault Falcon 8X, and Gulfstream G600 on the static display. “All the business jet makers are here—Gulfstream, Pilatus, Embraer, and Boeing have a stand.”
He added, “The public for [business aviation] aircraft lives in this world, and we hope to bring fashion next year, with clothes, cosmetics, pets. The exhibitors are happy, saying ‘I can bring my customers here, I invite them and they come with the family.’”
The Catarina Aviation Show also includes a fly-in, with more than 700 airplane and helicopter movements during the event. “DECEA, Brazil’s air traffic control department, is monitoring it in their command center.”
Longer-term, the dedicated business aviation airport is working with DECEA to potentially install a tower next year. “It’s not really needed by law,” Guimaraes said, but it’s being considered given the increasing volume of traffic there. In addition, an ILS is also being planned for next year, which he called “another jump in safety.”
Meanwhile, he said the airport is growing with no limits in sight. “There are 12 hangars today, the 13th is coming next month, and by the end of the third quarter, we’ll be up to 16 hangars,” Guimaraes pointed out. “A new 20,000-sq-m patio was built for the fair, and car parking was doubled with 250 new spaces.”
According to Guimaraes, the Catarina airport is growing so quickly because São Paulo Congonhas Airport “was straightjacketed” with reduced slots for business aviation. “So clients tried Catarina. And once they try Catarina, they don’t go back.”
At present, there are 140 aircraft hangared at Catarina, “and there is 100% occupancy of the 12 hangars,” he explained. “The four additional hangars are 100% reserved, and there’s a waiting list for Hangar 17 and beyond. Clients want to come here.”
There will also be space for related business. By month’s end, three hangars will open as the “Catarina Support Center,” with 10 commercial spaces for aviation suppliers, FBOs, and aircraft importers and brokers.
Business aviation caterer Marcia’s Catering will soon have an onsite kitchen in one of those commercial spaces. The only existing catering option at the airport is Fasano, a top-end restaurant owned by JHSF, Catarina’s developer. Another will house eight suites for pilots and auto chauffeurs, as well as a gym, restaurant, and auditorium.
There is still plenty of room for growth at Catarina, according to Guimaraes. “We have 3 million square meters of land for the airport, and we’re using only 15% of it,” he said. “Our goal is to have the best and largest business aviation airport in Brazil and Latin America.”

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