Air travel is growing in Brazil and will represent 14,7% of the total in 2024.
Data comes from the PNAD Contínua: Turismo survey, conducted by IBGE in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism.
247 - Air travel is increasingly gaining ground in domestic travel within Brazil. According to the Continuous National Household Sample Survey: Tourism (PNAD Turismo), released by IBGE in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, the share of Brazilians who use airplanes as their main means of transportation increased from 10,5% in 2020 to 14,7% in 2024.
According to Agência Gov, the growth trend reflects a change in traveler behavior after the Covid-19 pandemic, a period in which travel by car, either private or company-provided, was predominant. In the first eight months of 2025 alone, the air sector transported 65,7 million passengers. August marked a record: 8,7 million travelers passed through national airports, the best performance in the historical series and the 12th consecutive month of growth in domestic transport.
Impact on tourism and the economy
The Minister of Tourism, Celso Sabino, highlighted the importance of this movement for the sector: “Brazilians have been traveling more and making better use of opportunities to explore the country. This movement strengthens tourism, generates jobs, and boosts the economy in all regions,” he stated.
Despite the growth of air travel, the car remains the most used means of transportation, accounting for 50,7% in 2024, followed by airplanes (14,7%) and intercity buses (11,9%). The research indicates that the use of non-public transport vehicles has decreased compared to 2020, when automobiles accounted for 57,6% of trips.
Business and personal travel
The survey also showed that the increase in air travel was most significant for business trips. In 2020, only 19,9% of business trips were made by plane; the percentage rose to 27,1% in 2023 and reached 28,8% in 2024.
In total, most trips made within the country continue to be personal, accounting for 85,5% of the total in 2024, compared to 14,5% for business trips—a proportion practically stable compared to the previous year. Among business trips, 82,7% were for work purposes and 11,8% for participation in events or training courses. For personal trips, leisure was the main reason (39,8%), followed by visits to family and friends (32,2%), which have been decreasing since 2020, when they represented 38,6%.
Public policies and incentives
The growth of the aviation sector reinforces the relevance of policies to encourage domestic tourism. One of the ongoing initiatives is the program “Get to know Brazil: Flying”, coordinated by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the Brazilian Association of Airline Companies (ABEAR). The proposal seeks to expand connectivity between national destinations, especially regional ones, stimulate the flow of visitors and foster new business in the sector.
