Brazil is heading into a pivotal year for aviation, with 2026 shaping up as a landmark season of new routes, capacity growth, and fiercer competition across South America and beyond. LATAM Airlines is leading a wave of expansion from Brazil to Europe, Africa, and North America, while low cost and ultra low cost rivals Flybondi, Azul, and JetSMART are adding frequencies, seasonal services, and new cross-border links. For travelers, the result will be a denser web of connections into and out of Brazil’s key hubs, more choice on popular leisure corridors, and sharper fares as carriers vie for market share in a recovering but highly contested market.

LATAM’s 2026 Long Haul Push From São Paulo

LATAM Airlines is anchoring Brazil’s 2026 aviation expansion with an assertive long haul strategy centered on São Paulo Guarulhos. The group is rolling out three new intercontinental routes from Brazil to Amsterdam, Brussels, and Cape Town, alongside additional frequencies to existing European and North American destinations. These moves deepen LATAM’s position as the primary bridge between Brazil and two high yielding regions: Western Europe and southern Africa.

From early 2026, Guarulhos will see new nonstop services to Amsterdam, Brussels, and Cape Town. Operations are scheduled with Boeing 787 aircraft, consolidating LATAM’s use of efficient twin engine widebodies on long haul missions. Flights to Amsterdam are planned to begin in the northern spring of 2026, followed by Brussels in early summer and Cape Town as the southern hemisphere summer approaches. Together, the three routes add another layer of connectivity on top of existing services from Brazil to key European gateways such as Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Paris, Frankfurt, and London.

In parallel, LATAM is reinforcing its most mature long haul markets. Industry coverage in early 2026 highlights confirmed frequency increases from São Paulo to Miami, Rome, Barcelona, and the new Amsterdam operation. Miami will gradually grow from twice daily to as many as sixteen weekly flights by July 2026, while Rome is due to become a daily service. Barcelona also moves closer to daily status, and Amsterdam’s launch has already been upgraded from three to four weekly frequencies, with a further step up later in the northern spring. For international travelers, this concentrated build up at Guarulhos means more departure options, improved connectivity into LATAM’s domestic Brazilian network, and greater ability to secure competitive fares across seasons.

Beyond long haul, LATAM is also extending its footprint within South America through Brazil. A new Lima to Florianópolis route is set to start at the end of 2025, providing a fresh link between southern Brazil and Peru with three weekly flights operated by Airbus A319 or A320 aircraft. This service complements existing LATAM routes from Lima to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Curitiba, and Porto Alegre, and will be in full swing for the southern summer of 2026. Taken together, these regional and intercontinental growth initiatives illustrate LATAM’s belief in Brazil’s role as a continental hub and a platform for renewed international expansion.

While widebody growth captures the headlines, LATAM’s 2026 plan also includes a series of domestic additions that should materially improve connectivity across Brazil’s interior. The airline is preparing to add four new domestic destinations to its Brazilian network: Uberaba, Juiz de Fora, Caldas Novas, and Campina Grande. These routes will be flown with Airbus A320 family aircraft, underlining the central role of narrowbodies in LATAM’s strategy for secondary markets.

The schedule envisages services linking São Paulo Guarulhos with Uberaba from early January 2026, initially with three weekly flights. Daily links between Guarulhos and Juiz de Fora are planned for later in the first half of the year, while Brasília will gain a daily connection to Campina Grande. Caldas Novas, a well known leisure destination, will also join the network through a daily Guarulhos service beginning in the middle of 2026. With these additions, LATAM’s Brazilian arm expects to grow its domestic coverage to 63 airports, underlining its ambition to be the principal network carrier for both large metropolitan centers and smaller regional cities.

For travelers, the domestic build out matters in two ways. First, it shortens travel times for passengers who previously relied on indirect routings or ground transport to reach mid sized destinations. Second, by tying these cities into Guarulhos and Brasília, LATAM strengthens its ability to feed long haul flights with passengers from inland Brazil, rather than focusing exclusively on origin and destination traffic in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. This is particularly relevant for routes such as Amsterdam, Brussels, and Cape Town, where a diverse mix of business, leisure, and visiting friends and relatives traffic will be needed to sustain year round operations.

The interplay between domestic and international growth is visible across the region. As Brazil’s economic outlook stabilizes and demand recovers, the emphasis is shifting away from pure survival and toward network optimization. LATAM’s addition of both interior Brazilian routes and new long haul gateways illustrates a bet that demand growth will be broad based, spreading beyond the country’s largest cities into secondary urban centers and regional tourism hotspots.

Flybondi Intensifies the Argentina Brazil Leisure Corridor

In the low cost arena, Argentina’s Flybondi is pressing ahead with an ambitious build up on Brazil routes for the 2025 to 2026 southern summer, positioning itself as a key challenger in the cross border leisure market. After initially announcing a handful of new connections, the carrier has fleshed out a network plan that will see it operate seven routes between Argentina and Brazil at the height of the season. For Brazilian tourism hotspots, especially along the coast, this represents a meaningful influx of budget conscious travelers from Argentina.

The seasonal schedule centers on routes from Buenos Aires and Córdoba to popular Brazilian destinations. Buenos Aires to São Paulo Guarulhos will see daily service, while Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro Galeão will ramp up to as many as twenty one weekly flights during January and February, effectively offering multiple daily options on peak days. Florianópolis, a perennial favorite for Argentine holidaymakers, is due to receive up to fourteen weekly flights from Buenos Aires in high season. New seasonal connections from the Argentine capital to Maceió and Salvador add to the mix, as do Córdoba flights to Florianópolis and Rio de Janeiro with up to four weekly frequencies at the seasonal peak.

Beyond the Argentina Brazil axis, Flybondi is also growing into Brazil via a broader network expansion that includes additional regional routes and new international links. Recent schedule filings show new services such as Cordoba to Florianópolis and Cordoba to Rio de Janeiro integrated into a larger plan that adds multiple destinations across South America. For Brazilian travelers, this broadened footprint translates into more inbound capacity and greater choice of point to point itineraries that bypass traditional hubs.

From a competitive standpoint, Flybondi’s moves exemplify the ultra low cost model’s growing relevance in the Southern Cone. The carrier has made clear that it intends to tap peak season demand with efficient Boeing 737 800 operations, supplemented by wet leased aircraft at the busiest times. Its aggressive deployment on leisure heavy corridors heightens pressure on incumbents, including LATAM and Brazil’s own low cost operators, to defend market share through pricing, capacity, or product differentiation.

Azul’s Strategic Rebound and Carnival 2026 Surge

Azul Linhas Aéreas enters 2026 at a moment of transition and cautious optimism. Having completed a major financial restructuring and secured new investment from global partners, the airline is recalibrating its growth trajectory while continuing to defend its strong position in Brazil’s domestic market. Within this context, the company is leaning on targeted capacity surges during peak periods, along with selective international expansion to Europe and Latin America.

The most visible example of this tactical growth is Azul’s operation for Carnival 2026. The carrier has announced an additional 431 flights between 12 and 22 February 2026, representing a 6 percent increase in domestic seat capacity over that period. The temporary schedule boost injects around 58,600 extra seats across 92 city pairs and touches 26 airports nationwide. São Paulo Congonhas sees the largest buildup, with 190 extra departures, while key northeastern leisure destinations such as Salvador, Porto Seguro, and Ilhéus also receive substantial added capacity.

Azul has indicated that it will source aircraft for the Carnival surge by redeploying Embraer E195 E2 jets from lower yielding weekday rotations and extending overnight utilization. This approach allows the airline to meet peak holiday demand without committing to permanent year round capacity increases that might prove unsustainable. It also underscores Azul’s continued reliance on its diversified fleet and domestic network to capture Brazil’s powerful seasonal demand waves.

At the international level, Azul is reshaping its long haul strategy to match market cycles. The carrier has reprofiled its European network, converting the São Paulo Campinas to Paris Orly route into a seasonal operation aligned with the northern summer, and has moved to strengthen its presence in Madrid through new routes from Campinas and Recife. While some long haul services pause during weaker demand periods, the broader pattern points to renewed confidence in international flying, supported by Azul’s improved financial footing and new commercial partnerships with major North American airlines.

JetSMART Expands Its South American Footprint

Chilean born ultra low cost carrier JetSMART is not yet a major player in Brazil to the same extent as LATAM, Azul, or Flybondi, but its regional expansion strategy positions it as an emerging competitive force in South America’s skies. The airline has been steadily adding domestic and regional routes across Chile, Argentina, and Colombia, creating a platform from which it can incrementally move into Brazilian markets over the coming years.

Recent announcements highlight JetSMART’s continued focus on connecting secondary cities with popular leisure destinations. In Colombia, for example, the carrier has launched or announced routes linking Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali with San Andrés, broadening access to the Caribbean island for price sensitive travelers. In Argentina and Chile, JetSMART has pursued a similar pattern, building a web of point to point routes that bypass congested hubs and rely on high utilization Airbus A320 family aircraft.

Although its direct Brazil services are still limited compared with regional incumbents, JetSMART’s pan South American ambitions are clear. Backed by investment from the Indigo Partners group, the airline has signaled interest in scaling up in neighboring markets where structural costs and airport charges permit the ultra low cost model to flourish. As competition intensifies on Argentina Brazil and Chile Brazil corridors, JetSMART’s ability to stimulate demand with low fares could make it an increasingly relevant option for cross border travelers.

For Brazilian tourism stakeholders, the rise of JetSMART, alongside Flybondi and domestic low cost operators, promises a more diversified airline landscape. Over time, this should help broaden the base of inbound visitors from across the continent, especially younger and more budget conscious travelers who respond quickly to fare promotions and new route announcements.

What Travelers Can Expect in 2026

For travelers planning journeys to, from, or within Brazil in 2026, the combined actions of LATAM, Flybondi, Azul, and JetSMART translate into a clear trend: more seats, more routes, and more chances to find a fare and schedule that fits individual needs. On the long haul side, LATAM’s new flights from São Paulo to Amsterdam, Brussels, and Cape Town, coupled with extra frequencies to Miami, Rome, and Barcelona, open up fresh options for both leisure and business itineraries. Passengers from smaller Brazilian cities will increasingly be able to connect to these flights through new domestic services, reducing the need for multiple connections or lengthy ground journeys.

Within South America, Flybondi’s dense seasonal program between Argentina and Brazil should make it easier than ever for Argentines to reach beaches in Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis, Maceió, and Salvador during the southern summer. That surge of point to point capacity also benefits Brazilian travelers heading in the opposite direction, particularly when combined with competitive fares arising from intensified rivalry with network carriers. JetSMART’s gradual build out of regional services, and Azul’s selective adjustments to its international offerings, add further texture to the map of cross border connections.

Domestically, Azul’s Carnival 2026 capacity surge is a preview of how airlines are likely to manage peak periods in the coming years. Rather than relying solely on permanent capacity increases, carriers are deploying flexible scheduling tools and fleet strategies to flood the market with seats exactly when demand peaks. For passengers, this means better chances of finding flights that match preferred travel days, though it will remain crucial to book early during national holidays and major events.

Travelers should also anticipate a more segmented marketplace, where product and price vary widely even on the same route. Ultra low cost carriers such as Flybondi and JetSMART will typically offer stripped down base fares with optional extras, while network airlines like LATAM and Azul will emphasize loyalty programs, connectivity, and full service features. Understanding these differences, and carefully comparing total trip cost rather than just headline fares, will be essential to making the most of Brazil’s evolving aviation landscape in 2026.

A New Phase for Brazilian Aviation

The developments unfolding for 2026 mark a new chapter for Brazilian and South American aviation, one defined less by crisis management and more by strategic expansion and recalibration. LATAM’s assertive long haul growth from São Paulo, its new domestic spokes, Flybondi’s seasonal surge on Argentina Brazil routes, Azul’s targeted capacity for Carnival and rebalanced European network, and JetSMART’s quiet but persistent regional build out all point to renewed confidence in air travel demand across the continent.

At the same time, this phase is characterized by caution and selectivity. Azul’s decision to align some long haul operations with seasonal demand, and its emphasis on financial discipline following restructuring, illustrates an industry that has learned painful lessons from overexpansion and economic volatility. LATAM’s choice to pair new intercontinental routes with incremental frequency boosts on proven city pairs reflects a similar desire to balance ambition with sustainability.

For Brazil as a destination, the implications are broadly positive. More international gateways, stronger domestic connectivity, and a growing roster of low cost and ultra low cost options should help the country attract a wider array of visitors while making travel easier for its own citizens. As 2026 approaches, the combined initiatives of LATAM, Flybondi, Azul, and JetSMART are set to reshape the map for travelers, signaling that Brazil’s skies are once again a space of expansion, competition, and opportunity.