Safety in focus: BH Airport warns of fires around the terminal

A large fire recorded last weekend in a wooded area of ​​Serra Verde State Park, in the Venda Nova region, alarmed the population and raised a warning about the risk of wildfires in the northern region of the capital of Minas Gerais. Despite its proximity, the fire did not affect BH Airport's operations, but the terminal emphasizes the importance of fire prevention during this dry season.

In 2024, BH Airport recorded several fires on the airport site, all of which were controlled by joint action by the terminal's Fire Department and the Minas Gerais Fire Department. So far in 2025, there have been no serious incidents near the terminal, but the drought requires increased attention and preventive measures from the entire community.

BH Airport COO Rodrigo Côrtes emphasizes that fire prevention is a collective task. This is because small oversights, such as improperly discarding cigarettes or burning trash, can escalate into serious situations. He also points out that, in addition to environmental impacts, smoke poses a direct risk to air operations, compromising visibility during landings and takeoffs.

"BH Airport conducts constant monitoring through our Operations and Emergency Center, which includes cameras around the terminal and the use of drones to enhance surveillance. We also have a Fire Department equipped and ready to respond whenever necessary. Furthermore, we promote awareness-raising initiatives with the community, because we understand that prevention is a shared responsibility. It is essential that prevention efforts be a partnership between the airport and the entire surrounding community," he emphasizes.

How to prevent fires around the airport?

Do not throw cigarette butts in areas with dry vegetation;

Avoid burning trash or debris, especially in vacant lots;

Participate in community cleanup and awareness-raising activities;

Do not release balloons: it is a crime and can cause serious fires;

Report fires: 193 (Fire Department) or 190 (Military Police).

BH Airport ranks 8th in Cirium's global punctuality ranking among mid-sized airports

BH Airport is an international leader in punctuality. With 84.41% of on-time departures and 99.81% of monitored flights, the Minas Gerais international terminal has just ranked 8th in the July 2025 Cirium Punctuality Performance global ranking, among the most punctual mid-sized airports in the world. The Cirium ranking is a global benchmark, based on rigorous technical criteria for flight data analysis, and contributes to the identification of standards and improvements in the airline industry.

Fabiano Reis, Operations, Security, and Passenger Experience Manager, celebrates the ranking and emphasizes that the result is the result of ongoing work that prioritizes operational efficiency. "Several efforts are being made in this regard, whether rethinking operational details, constant dialogue with airlines, or adopting innovative solutions to improve passenger flow. All of this is done to ensure efficient operations while simultaneously providing an increasingly better experience for those who arrive and depart here," he emphasizes. Among the initiatives that have contributed to these results is the implementation of coordinated pushbacks, which reduce aircraft taxiing time on the ground. Coordinated pushbacks are simultaneous movements of aircraft on the ground, strategically planned between the airport operations center and the Control Tower. This joint management allows multiple aircraft to leave their positions simultaneously and head towards the runway, without compromising the fluidity and safety of operations, even during peak times.

Passenger Flow

While it is common to associate punctuality solely with aircraft operation, passenger flow plays a fundamental role in this result. At BH Airport, solutions aimed at speeding up boarding and disembarking have directly contributed to improving operational indicators.

One of these initiatives is expedited boarding, a priority flow for passengers carrying only one carry-on item, such as a suitcase, bag, or backpack. This measure streamlines security procedures at screening channels and has proven especially effective during periods of high demand. Another innovation is the E-gate, an electronic passport checking device that went into operation in August. With it, immigration processing time has dropped from 1 minute and 20 seconds to just 15 seconds. This technology represents the latest technology on the international market. "The e-gate is another investment that contributes to the continuous improvement of our passenger experience, and we remain attentive to innovations that add value to our services, facilitate transit through the terminal, and respect our travelers' time," says Fabiano.

National and International Recognition

In addition to its performance in the Cirium ranking, BH Airport also leads in other important evaluations. In the ANAC Quality Index (Q Factor), which combines objective criteria and passenger perception, the terminal achieved the best performance in Brazil in 2024. A concrete example of this result is the inspection time: between January and May of this year, 99% of passengers passed through the inspection channel within five minutes. On the international stage, BH Airport also stands out as the only Brazilian airport certified at level 2 of the Airport Customer Experience Accreditation program, promoted by ACI World. In total, only 46 airports worldwide hold this certification, 9 of which are in Latin America and only BH Airport is in Brazil, which reinforces the high standard of quality and service offered by the terminal.

BH Airport expects 1.1 million passengers in August

The holiday season is over, but BH Airport remains busy: in August, 1.1 million passengers are expected to pass through the Minas Gerais international terminal, representing a 4% increase over the same month in 2024. Compared to 2019, the increase is even greater: 20% growth, demonstrating a surpassing of pre-pandemic results.

Adopted in several cities across Brazil, the religious holiday of August 15th (Our Lady of Good Voyage, Assumption of Our Lady, and Day of Our Lord of Bonfim) contributes to August's traffic. Because the holiday falls on a Friday, people take advantage of the weekend to extend their travel plans for leisure. Between August 14th and 19th, approximately 225,000 people will pass through the terminal. The busiest day for passengers will be Thursday, the 14th, when the airport is expected to receive over 40,000 passengers. A total of 199 additional flights are planned for the period, with Rio de Janeiro and Porto Seguro among the most popular destinations.

Rodrigo Côrtes, COO of BH Airport, emphasizes that the airport is increasingly prepared to meet growing passenger demand. "Our commitment is to ensure a fast, safe, and comfortable experience for everyone. Initiatives such as express boarding for passengers with just one item, the inauguration of the e-gate, which speeds up the migration flow, and the launch of new VIP lounges are examples of how we are continually investing in infrastructure and technology to keep up with the growth in traffic and provide greater comfort to our passengers," he states.

The expected increase in traffic in August follows a trend observed since the beginning of the year in the Brazilian aviation industry, which has seen 10% growth in passenger flow compared to the same period in 2024. At BH Airport, this growth has been even more significant: between January and June, 6.2 million people passed through the terminal, an increase of almost 15% year-over-year.

"We are experiencing a cycle of reconstruction, driven by the economic recovery and our commitment to expanding connectivity. Today, we are the second-largest airport in Brazil in terms of the number of domestic destinations, and we continue working to further promote Minas Gerais on the national and international stage," says Rodrigo.

BH Airport celebrates 11 years of concession with advances in infrastructure, connectivity and sustainability

On August 12, 2014, a new story began for Belo Horizonte International Airport. With the arrival of the BH Airport concession, the Minas Gerais terminal embarked on a journey of transformation that forever changed the experience of those arriving and departing in Minas Gerais. Eleven years later, the numbers confirm this progress: record passenger and cargo movement, an expanded commercial mix, increased connectivity, and national and international recognition. All of this was achieved despite challenges such as the pandemic, accelerated post-pandemic growth, increasing pressure on infrastructure, and construction work inherited from the World Cup.

Today, those passing through the airport find one of the largest hubs in the country, with modern infrastructure, excellent services, and a network that connects Minas Gerais to the world. There are more than 100 commercial operations, including six VIP lounges—including Advantage, voted the best in the world—and a range of destinations that places BH Airport as the second-largest in domestic routes and the third-largest in total in Brazil. In 2024, 12.3 million passengers passed through the terminal, representing an 18% increase over the previous year and almost four times the national average. In the first half of 2025, the terminal received 6.2 million passengers, a 15% increase over the same period in 2024.

In these 11 years, the infrastructure has also evolved significantly. Since the beginning of the concession, approximately R$1.3 billion has been invested in improvements, including the construction of a new passenger terminal, which increased the capacity from 10 million to 32 million passengers per year. In 2025, BH Airport also made several investments in technology, such as the modernization of the service and boarding system, which modernized the infrastructure used by airlines, as well as the new e-gate, an electronic passport checking device that allows documentation verification in seconds. This year, BH Airport also announced an investment that will bring significant improvements to operational efficiency and passenger comfort: the reopening of Arrivals 1. Scheduled for October, the area connects the restricted area near Gate 2 to the public concourse. The investment in the project is approximately R$11 million, a contribution made by the concessionaire, with a commitment to reimburse Infraero, which is responsible for the renovation's finances.

For BH Airport CEO Daniel Miranda Barbosa, all this progress over the last 11 years is the result of management committed to excellence and the future of aviation in Minas Gerais. He emphasizes that the anniversary represents an important milestone, but it is also a starting point for new challenges and opportunities. "Celebrating 11 years is recognizing how far we've come and reaffirming that we still have room to grow. We've transformed the airport into one of the most efficient and welcoming in the country, but we know that to continue on this path, it's essential to complete the projects we inherited in 2014, which are essential to maintaining our quality and safety standards. We will continue working with a passenger focus, always striving for greater connectivity, innovation, and sustainability for Minas Gerais," he states.

11 Years of Caring for the Environment and People

BH Airport's evolution over the past few years also translates into social and environmental responsibility. Since the beginning of the concession, operational excellence has been accompanied by sustainable practices and social impact. The terminal is now a national benchmark, recognized by ANAC with the Sustainable Airports seal for three consecutive years and awarded in the Society (social impact) and Externalities (emissions and waste management) categories. Initiatives like the partnership with Ascamare—which has already disposed of more than 3,700 tons of recyclable waste and directly benefits 22 families—and investments in renewable energy and an electric fleet demonstrate that our commitment to the environment and the community is present at every stage of our operations. "We believe that growing responsibly is the only way forward. Over these 11 years, we've shown that it's possible to evolve infrastructure, services, and connectivity without compromising on caring for the environment and people. This is our commitment to Minas Gerais and the future of aviation," says Daniel.

International arrivals and departures at BH Airport are now faster and more technologically advanced with the new e-gate.

The passenger experience on international flights at BH Airport will be faster, more efficient, and more technologically advanced. Starting today (August 8th), the new e-gate, an electronic passport verification system that allows for document verification in seconds, will go into operation. The technology streamlines the immigration process, with a modern system that automatically performs all verification steps that were previously performed manually.

BH Airport COO Rodrigo Côrtes emphasizes that the new investment reinforces the airport's commitment to offering an increasingly streamlined and enjoyable journey for those arriving or departing through the Minas Gerais international terminal. "We are implementing a solution that represents the latest technology in the international market, focusing on efficiency without sacrificing security. The e-gate is another investment that contributes to the continuous improvement of our passenger experience, and we remain attentive to innovations that add value to our services and make life easier for those who pass through here," he emphasizes. Juner Caldeira Barbosa, Executive Regional Delegate of the Federal Police in Minas Gerais, representing the Regional Superintendent of the Federal Police of Minas Gerais, emphasizes that the modernization strengthens the Federal Police's institutional presence in one of the country's main airport terminals. "The strong partnership between the Federal Police Superintendence in Minas Gerais and the airport administrator BH Airport has yielded significant results, and today we celebrate another important advancement. The e-gate will bring countless benefits to users and all professionals involved in providing immigration services," he states.

The e-gate can be used by passengers with electronic passports aged 18 and over (boarding) and 12 (disembarking). The system will coexist with the in-person service provided by the Federal Police, which remains active for foreign nationals, minors, passengers who present any inconsistency in the automated reading, or who require specific assistance.

To use the new equipment, simply place your passport on the reader, follow the visual instructions, and undergo facial verification. The process is complete in just a few seconds. For facial recognition to work correctly, the face must be visible during boarding. Therefore, passengers should avoid wearing sunglasses, caps, hats, or any accessories that cover part of their face during the process. This ensures fast and secure recognition, ensuring a smoother and more efficient experience for everyone.