Brazil Ranks 2 Globally for Business Aviation Departures in Early 2026

Brazil has emerged as a major player in the global business aviation landscape, ranking second worldwide for business aviation departures in January–February 2026, according to Avi-Go’s comprehensive flight history database. This achievement highlights the country’s extensive domestic network and the growing importance of business aviation in South America.

Brazil in the Global Context

Over the first two months of 2026, Brazil recorded a total of 23,130 business aviation departures: 12,422 in January and 10,708 in February. This placed Brazil behind the United States, the global leader with 287,937 departures in January 2026 alone, but ahead of Mexico, which recorded 10,706 departures in January 2026.

• Brazil vs Mexico (#3): +1,716 departures (+16.0%)
• Brazil vs United States (#1): -275,515 departures (~23.2× Brazil’s January total)

While Brazil remains comfortably ahead of Mexico, the gap with the U.S. reflects the scale difference between North American and Latin American business aviation markets.

Early 2026 Trends

Brazil’s departures show a modest softening across the first two months of 2026:

Year-over-year comparisons show a mixed picture: January 2026 increased +8.7% YoY, while February fell -12.3% YoY, resulting in a slight net decline of -2.1% for the combined Jan–Feb 2026 period versus the same months in 2025. This suggests that early 2026 is roughly flat compared with last year, with January gains offset by February’s decline.

Domestic Network Drives Volume

Brazil’s high global ranking is predominantly domestic. Of the 23,130 departures in Jan–Feb 2026:

• Domestic departures: 22,253 (96.2%)
• International departures: 877 (3.8%)

Top international destinations included Uruguay (206), the United States (162), Argentina (86), Paraguay (71), and Sint Maarten (37). This demonstrates that Brazil’s business aviation market is fueled by short-to-medium haul domestic operations, rather than long-haul international flights.

Fleet Mix and Operational Patterns

The departures in Brazil are primarily powered by turboprops and light jets, which together account for nearly 89% of activity:

This mix aligns with Brazil’s dense domestic network, where operators rely on smaller, versatile aircraft for efficient regional mobility.

Leading Departure Hubs

Brazil’s departures are concentrated in a handful of key cities:

São Paulo remains the dominant hub, with secondary cities like Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasília supporting significant regional business aviation activity.

Conclusion

Brazil’s second-place global ranking in Jan–Feb 2026 underscores the strength of its domestic business aviation network, driven largely by turboprops and light jets. While international operations remain limited, the country’s dense domestic connectivity and robust hub infrastructure solidify its position as a key player in the global business aviation landscape.

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