What airport is GRU?
Why the code is GRU
GuaRUlhos, the city it sits in — not São Paulo.
The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.
The airport
- IATA code
- GRU
- ICAO code
- SBGR
- Airport
- São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport
- City
- São Paulo, Brazil
- Opened
- 1985
- Code origin
- Documented
Guarulhos is the busiest airport in South America and the main gateway to the continent. São Paulo's second airport, Congonhas, is inside the city with a notoriously short runway and handles domestic traffic; SAO covers both.
Codes people book by mistake
| Code | What it actually is |
|---|---|
| CGH | Congonhas, in the middle of São Paulo. Domestic only, and a much shorter runway. |
The other code, SBGR
Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, GRU, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, SBGR, is the one pilots and controllers use, and it is assigned geographically: the first letter or two identify the region, so every airport in the same part of the world shares a prefix. That is why SBGR looks nothing like GRU.
Common questions
- What airport is GRU?
- São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport, in São Paulo, Brazil.
- Why is São Paulo's airport called GRU?
- GuaRUlhos, the city it sits in — not São Paulo.
- What is the difference between GRU and SBGR?
- GRU is the IATA code, used commercially — tickets, timetables, luggage tags. SBGR is the ICAO code, used operationally by pilots and air traffic control, and assigned geographically by region.
- Is GRU the same as CGH?
- No. CGH is congonhas, in the middle of São Paulo. Domestic only, and a much shorter runway.
Related pages
- Brazil Capital, area, population and currency
- The flag of Brazil Colours, symbols and lookalikes
- Airport codes in Brazil 1 here
Sources
- OurAirports — OurAirports (Public domain)