Salvador Bahia Airport leads international passenger traffic in Northern and Northeastern Brazil in the first half of 2025

• ANAC data shows the airport ranks sixth among Brazilian terminals with the highest number of international passengers;
• Over 266,000 international passengers traveled through Salvador between January and June 2025;
• Two new international routes are scheduled to begin operations by January 2026;
• Salvador Bahia Airport recorded an 18.44% increase in international passengers compared to the same period in 2024.

Salvador Bahia Airport, part of the VINCI Airports network, handled 266,700 international passengers in the first half of 2025, according to data from the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC). With this result, the airport in Bahia’s capital surpassed Fortaleza and took the lead among airports with the highest international passenger traffic in Northern and Northeastern Brazil.

Nationwide, Salvador Bahia Airport ranks sixth. The figures represent an 18.44% increase compared to the first half of last year, when 191,400 international passengers traveled through the airport.

The numbers highlight Salvador’s growing role in international connectivity, boosted by the launch of Air France flights in October 2024. The Paris–Salvador–Paris service directly connects Bahia’s capital to more than 160 destinations worldwide, including cities across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Air Europa also increased its weekly frequencies to Madrid from three to four, while SKY Airline launched a new route with two weekly frequencies, expanding connections with Buenos Aires.

Growth is expected to accelerate in the second half of the year. Starting December 17, Argentine low-cost carrier Flybondi will begin operating direct flights between Salvador and Buenos Aires. By January 2026, Copa Airlines will launch a new service connecting Salvador to Panama City, offering onward connections to more than 80 destinations across Central America, North America, and the Caribbean.

“We have developed a consistent strategy to prospect strategic routes, which has driven the growth of international flights to and from Salvador. These results reinforce Bahia’s importance for connectivity across the Northeast region,” said Julio Ribas, CEO of VINCI Airports in Brazil.

About Salvador Bahia Airport

Located in Salvador, the capital of Bahia state, Salvador Bahia Airport was the first Brazilian airport operated under a VINCI Airports concession, which began on January 2, 2018. Since then, the airport has adopted global operational standards to deliver more efficiency, safety, and a better travel experience for passengers. With an investment of R$ 700 million in modernization and expansion works, the terminal increased its capacity by 50% and can now serve up to 15 million passengers per year.

The airport has also been recognized with the Ethnic-Racial Diversity Seal by the Municipal Secretariat for Reparations of Salvador, in recognition of its initiatives against institutional racism. It also stands out as the “Most Sustainable Airport in Brazil,” leading environmental preservation initiatives.

About VINCI Airports

VINCI Airports, the world’s leading private airport operator, manages more than 70 airports in 14 countries. Leveraging its global expertise, VINCI Airports develops, finances, builds, and operates airports, combining investment capacity with know-how in operational performance optimization, infrastructure modernization, operations management, and environmental transition.

In 2016, VINCI Airports became the first airport operator to adopt an international environmental strategy, with a goal to achieve net zero emissions across its network by 2050.