Canada-based advanced air mobility infrastructure developer VPorts and Air Traffic Management (VPorts) has been selected to build and operate a vertiport hub at Aeroporto Internacional de São Paulo (GRU) in Guarulhos, Brazil as part of a 40 year concession agreement signed with airport authorities regarding the construction of a private terminal on its premises. The new 5,100 sq building, to be located on the site of São Paulo airport, will open at the end of 2023.

The new private terminal will include the vertiport hub, which will be ready to enter into service as urban air travel vehicles take flight in the coming years. By 2026, eVTOLs and air taxis will be connecting Guarulhos to other areas in São Paulo. The private terminal is currently being built with this next-generation safe, sustainable and integrated air mobility vision in mind. Over 100,000 passengers per year are expected to use the terminal by 2045.

Leveraging its existing network of helicopter operators, São Paulo is among the most able cities to introduce eVTOL type services to the world. The AAM industry in São Paulo will reach $15 billion in revenues by 2045, with 20 million passengers per year, giving São Paulo a worldwide leadership role.

VPorts is also planning to deploy its South American VPorts operation control centre (VOCC) in the City of São Paulo and will oversee the operation of all its planned vertiports in South America from this centre.

In the State of São Paulo, VPorts will start by identifying other locations for its vertiports, based mainly on cargo demand and the current airspace configuration. VPorts will work with Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and eVTOLs operators to develop the plan for collaborative operations of these vertiports and make them available for São Paulo and GRU airport passengers from across the globe.

VPorts, which designs its vertiports to be safe and efficient to operate, has partnered with best-in-class companies on the GRU project. The vertiport's concept of operations and operational requirements, which include the air traffic management integration, are being developed by NUAIR, a New York-based engineering firm defining the future of safe uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and AAM operation. UAM Geomatics of Washington, DC will perform passenger, cost and revenue forecasting, geospatial mapping and vertiport network location mapping in the State of São Paulo. NEXA Capital Partners, also of Washington, DC, will provide the infrastructure investment necessary to build vertiports.