Currently, the closest metro station to Congonhas Airport is São Judas, about 4km from the terminal. Therefore, if you have a scheduled flight and want to get to the terminal by public transport, you’ll need to take a Linha 1-Azul train to the station and supplement the journey with a 30-minute bus ride, or a 1-hour walk. Which can be a hassle, depending on the amount of luggage.
But fear not, travelers, because this reality is about to change! This week, the capital received the first train of the new Line 17-Gold monorail, which will connect Congonhas to the Jabaquara and São Paulo-Morumbi stations. This way, São Paulo residents will be able to access the airport directly via the metro, without having to transfer to other means of transportation. Check out everything we know about the project below:
When will the subway to Congonhas Airport be available to the population?
The promise of Line 17-Gold is not new. After all, the initial project is more than a decade old, and initially the works were scheduled to be finished before the 2014 World Cup.
After a few years’ delay, however, work is finally underway. This weekend, São Paulo received the first train to run on Line 17-Gold, from China. From now on, it will need a month to be assembled and will undergo a series of safety tests, until it is cleared for operation.
The next trains are expected to arrive in Brazil in 2025, with Line 17-Gold opening in 2026.
What will the Line 17-Gold subway be like?
Line 17-Gold will be 17.7km long, connecting Jabaquara and São Paulo-Morumbi stations to Congonhas Airport. It will connect with lines 9-Esmeralda and 5-Lilac.
It will have 14 monorails, each with five cars, 69 seats in total and total capacity for 616 passengers. There will be priority seating and space reserved for people with disabilities.
