Airport in Rio will be auctioned in March 2026, with a minimum bid of R$932 million and departure of Infraero
The federal government published this Monday (Dec 15, 2025) the notice with the rules for the auction of Tom Jobim International Airport, Galeão, in Rio de Janeiro. The competitive procedure is scheduled for March 30, 2026 and will have a minimum bid of R$932 million. Here is it (PDF – 1 MB).
The auction determines the assisted sale of 100% of the concessionaire’s shares, responsible for operating the terminal. The model is linked to the exit of , a state-owned company that currently holds 49% of the company, and is part of a renegotiation of the concession contract, which runs until 2039.
The assisted sale will be conducted by the (National Civil Aviation Agency) and results from a consensual solution approved by the (Federal Audit Court). The objective is to adjust the contract to conditions considered sustainable, after financial difficulties faced by the concessionaire in recent years, especially during the pandemic.
According to the rules of the notice, whoever presents the highest grant value wins, which is the amount paid to the government to obtain the right to operate the airport for the term of the concession contract.
Companies and investment funds, Brazilian or foreign, can participate, individually or in a consortium. The acquisition will be made in a single batch, with no possibility of partial purchase.
If the current operator wins the competition, it will be able to remain in charge of the airport, as long as it complies with the new contractual conditions. If there are no interested parties, the government may resume the terminal re-bidding process.
Among the main changes in the renegotiation are the charging of a variable contribution of 20% on the concessionaire’s gross revenue until the end of the contract, the exclusion of the obligation to build a third runway and the creation of a financial compensation mechanism in the event of operational restrictions at Santos Dumont Airport, also in Rio.
The notice incorporates suggestions received during public consultation and hearing held between September and November this year by Anac and the (Ministry of Ports and Airports). According to the agency, the intention is to guarantee continuity of service, preserve investments already made and allow the expansion of Galeão’s operational capacity.
The schedule projects the delivery of proposals by March 24, 2026, with the preliminary analysis published by the 27th. The public auction session will be held 3 days later.
Granted to the private sector in 2014, Galeão entered into an amicable return process in 2022. In 2023, the TCU began to admit the renegotiation of the contract as an alternative to re-bidding, which paved the way for the model now in dispute.
