Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport

São Luís–Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (IATA: SLZ, ICAO: SBSL), formerly called Tirirical Airport, is the airport serving São Luís, Brazil. Since 17 October 1985, the airport is named after Air Marshall Hugo da Cunha Machado (1898–1989), born in Maranhão.^[5]

São Luís–Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport Aeroporto Internacional de São Luís–Marechal Cunha Machado
IATA: SLZ ICAO: SBSL LID: MA0001
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Infraero (1975–2021) CCR (2021–present)
Serves	São Luís
Time zone	BRT (UTC−03:00)
Elevation AMSL	54 m / 177 ft
Coordinates	02°35′13″S 044°14′10″W
Website	www.ccraeroportos.com.br/sao-luis-ma
Map
SLZ Location in Brazil
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 06/24 2,385 7,825 Asphalt 09/27 1,464 4,803 Asphalt
Statistics (2024)
Passengers 1,490,915 4% Aircraft Operations 19,192 5%
Statistics: CCR[1] Sources: Airport Website,[2] ANAC,[3] DECEA[4]

It is operated by CCR.

History

In 1942, a grass track measuring one thousand meters (runway 09/27), which served the airbase of the Brazilian Army, was the only way that São Luís had to receive flights. Runway 06/24 was built as part of the US base which began operating in 1943.^{[citation needed]}

In 1974, technical jurisdiction, administrative and operational services were transferred to Infraero.^{[citation needed]}

The new terminal of the airport was opened in June 1998 and in October 2004, it was upgraded to international category.^{[citation needed]}

Previously operated by Infraero, on April 7, 2021, CCR won a 30-year concession to operate the airport.^[6]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
Azul Brazilian Airlines	Belém, Belo Horizonte–Confins, Campinas, Imperatriz, Recife, Teresina
Azul Conecta	Barreirinhas, Fortaleza, Jericoacoara, Parnaíba (all end 9 March 2025)[7]
Gol Linhas Aéreas	Brasília, Rio de Janeiro–Galeão, Salvador da Bahia, São Paulo–Guarulhos Seasonal: Belo Horizonte–Confins, Fortaleza
LATAM Brasil	Brasília, Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro–Galeão, São Paulo–Guarulhos, Teresina (ends 29 March 2025)[citation needed]

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
Gol Linhas Aéreas	São Paulo–Guarulhos,[8] Teresina[8]

Statistics

Terminal landside view in 2014

Terminal in 2014

Following is the number of passenger, aircraft and cargo movements at the airport, according to Infraero (2007-2021) and CCR (2022-2024) reports:^[9][10][1]

Year	Passenger	Aircraft	Cargo (t)
2024	1,490,915 4%	19,192 5%
2023	1,548,876	20,205	4,060
2022a	1,128,108	16,585	3,403
2021	1,116,871 34%	15,754 28%	3,611 39%
2020	836,336 50%	12,311 31%	2,602 52%
2019	1,675,549 5%	17,816 5%	5,430 2%
2018	1,598,004	18,733 5%	5,300 27%
2017	1,601,836 5%	19,695 4%	4,188 20%
2016	1,520,847 11%	18,880 20%	3,495 30%
2015	1,701,015 7%	23,470 9%	4,488 24%
2014	1,833,799 1%	25,821 8%	6,530 8%
2013	1,815,909 9%	27,975 8%	7,063 12%
2012	1,991,099 8%	30,358 9%	8,018 15%
2011	1,843,384 34%	27,924 18%	9,477 18%
2010	1,379,146 40%	23,643 23%	8,000 9%
2009	984,756 13%	19,284	7,330 5%
2008	870,784 3%	19,310 3%	7,693 10%
2007	900,357	19,994	6,973

Note:
^a: 2022 series provided by CCR is incomplete, lacking data for the months of January, February and part of March.

Accidents and incidents

• 1 June 1973: a Cruzeiro do Sul Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI N registration PP-PDX operating flight 109 from Belém-Val de Cans to São Luís crashed on approach to São Luís. Engine no.1 lost power and the aircraft attained an extreme nose-up attitude. It stalled and crashed 760m to the right of the runway. All 23 passengers and crew died.^[11][12]
• 3 February 1984: a Cruzeiro do Sul Airbus A300B4-203 operating flight 302 en route from São Luís to Belém-Val de Cans with 176 passengers and crew aboard was hijacked by 3 persons who demanded to be taken to Cuba. The flight reached Camagüey in less than a day. There were no deaths among the victims.^[13]

Access

The airport is located 15 km (9 mi) from downtown São Luís.

See also

• List of airports in Brazil

References

1. "Movimentação Aeroportuária". CCR (in Portuguese). Retrieved 10 February 2025.
2. "São Luís". CCR Aeroportos (in Portuguese). Retrieved 1 June 2023.
3. "Aeródromos". ANAC (in Portuguese). 29 June 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
4. "Marechal Cunha Machado (SBSL)". DECEA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 August 2023.
5. "Lei n˚7.383, de 17 de outubro de 1985". Presidência da República (in Portuguese). 17 October 1985. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
6. "Governo federal arrecada R$ 3,3 bilhões com leilão de 22 aeroportos". Agência Brasil (in Portuguese). 7 April 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
7. "Azul deixa de voar para 12 cidades a partir de março; veja lista". Panrotas (in Portuguese). 24 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
8. "Conheça a rede aérea da Gol para o Mercado Livre; primeiro voo liga Guarulhos a Fortaleza". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 18 August 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
9. "Anuário Estatístico Operacional" (PDF). Infraero (in Portuguese). 12 April 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
10. "Estatísticas". Infraero (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 January 2025.
11. "Accident description PP-PDX". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
12. Germano da Silva, Carlos Ari César (2008). "O mistério do Tirirical". O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes 1928–1996 (in Portuguese) (2 ed.). Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS. pp. 279–284. ISBN 978-85-7430-760-2.
13. "Incident description 3 February 1984". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 4 August 2011.

External links

• Airport information for SBSL at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
• Current weather for SBSL at NOAA/NWS
• Accident history for SLZ at Aviation Safety Network