In October, GRU Airport began the second phase of its infrastructure investment plan with the works at Terminals 1 and 2. These terminals are almost 30 years old and only a massive makeover will enable them to offer the same level of service as Terminal 3.

The architectural design will give them a more modern look. The old metal structures, characteristic of the architecture of the 1980s, will be removed, as will the check-in counters which are close to the terminals’ gates. As a result, the width of the passenger corridor in the lobbies will increase from three to seven meters. The concessionaire will also expand key areas of the terminals, such as the check-in, baggage claim and passport control areas, as well as the boarding and arrival lobbies.

One of the main changes will be the centralization of the x-ray section, where hand luggage is inspected and passengers pass through metal detectors. Today, Terminals 1 and 2 have four such areas, two in each terminal, for domestic and international flights. In the new project, passengers will access the boarding area through a single location and then go to their respective flight terminal.

Under the new configuration, Terminal 1 will handle domestic flights only. Consequently, the passport control area will be eliminated in the boarding and arrival areas. Terminal 2 will handle domestic and short-haul international flights and its customs and passport control areas will be maintained.

The retail area will also be expanded to provide passengers with added food and shopping options. The new project envisages the construction of Avenida GRU, . a restricted area overlooking the aircraft apron reserved for stores, restaurants and bars only. The company will also build a food court on the mezzanine floor of the public area,.

Thanks to the renovation, these terminals will be able to handle an additional 34 million passengers per year. However, the most important change will be the increase in the level of comfort in key sectors, such as check-in and x-ray inspection.