Campinas Viracopos Airport
IATA: VCP, or CPQ
ICAO: SBKP
Passengers: ~6,7 million
Viracopos – Campinas International airport is the main airport serving the Municipality of Campinas in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Viracopos is a neighbourhood in Campinas, hence the second name. Since it is within Sao Paulo state, it is often referred to as Sao Paulo Campinas or Sao Paulo Viracopos airport.
Because of this duality, it has two IATA airport codes. First, VCP is more common and it is used when passengers request services from Sao Paulo airport. The second, CPQ is used by GOL airlines, and when passengers request services from Campinas.
Viracopos airport has a long history, dating all the way to the 1930s and the simple airfield built near Campinas. In the 1960s, the airport became the international airport of Sao Paulo. However, it lost that title in 1985 when Guarulhos International Airport opened. Consequently, Viracopos entered a period of stagnation afterwards. During the late 90s, the airport started focusing on cargo traffic and became one of the busiest cargo airports in Brazil.
Passenger traffic started to grow quickly in 2008 after Azul Airlines decided to make Viracopos its main hub. In just three years from 2008 to 2011, the passenger traffic grew from 1 million to 7.5 million passengers a year. Eventually, the airport grew to be the fourth busiest airport in Brazil in 2020.
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Getting from Viracopos Airport to Campinas
The airport is about 20km from the centre of Campinas. This makes the airport perfect for serving the municipality of Campinas.
The airport is about 90km of road distance from Sao Paulo. Clearly, it is not a short drive away, which is why Viracopos is not the main airport serving the city of Sao Paulo. However, with the constant growth of Sao Paulo, the airports’ importance to the city is growing.
Buses
Buses in Brazil are always a popular and affordable transportation option. Viracopos Airport is well connected with Campinas, Sao Paulo and other nearby cities.
The average bus drive from Viracopos airport to downtown Campinas takes about 30 minutes. It takes about an hour and a half to get from Campinas bus station to Sao Paulo.
To get from the airport to Campinas, you can take the public bus line 601, or LiraBus’ shuttle bus. Azul airlines also provide private shuttle buses for their passengers.
Bus line 601 stop at Viracopos airport and drives you to Campinas central bus station. Buses depart from 5 am until 10 pm. For the bus line 601 timetable, check out the official carrier.
LiraBus is a reputable transportation company, their buses are on time and have free WiFi. A ticket from the airport to Campinas costs about 3$.
To check out LiraBus departures and timetables, please visit their official website.
Taxi
Taxis are the fastest way of transportation from the airport to Campinas or the Sao Paulo centre. When the traffic is normal, you can get from the airport to downtown Campinas in 15-20 minutes. A ride to downtown Sao Paulo will take an hour, or more depending on the traffic.
You can find plenty of taxis readily available in the transportation area on level 1 of Terminal 1.
Uber is also available at Viracopos airport. Uber is relatively cheaper compared to regular taxis. However, the cost of your Uber drive will depend on your destination, the type of ride you requested and other factors.
Car hire
If you wish to drive at your own pace, then hiring a car is an option for you. You can find a variety of car rental agencies on level 0 of the parking garage. Some of the most popular car rental agencies available are Localiza, Hertz, Movida, Unidas and Avis.
Transfers
The most hassle-free option is a pre-booked door-to-door transfer. Pre-booked transfers are great if you are coming in a large group of people or if you are really short on time. If you book a transfer to your destination, your private driver will be waiting for you at the arrivals dock with your name written on the card.
This is the most expensive option, but the comfort of it might be well worth it depending on your needs.
Campinas Viracopos Airport Facilities
In February 2012, Aeroportos Brasil Viracopos won the Viracopos auction. This marked the beginning of a new era for the airport. After the auction, the concessionaire quickly started working on upgrading the airport complex.
In 2014, a new passenger terminal began to operate which increased the capacity of Viracopos to 25 million passengers per year.
Moreover, in a passengers survey conducted by the Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SAC), Viracopos was elected the Best Airport in Brazil 10 times!
Equally important is Viracopos’ recognition as the best cargo transport airport in the world, according to the study by Air Cargo World.
Clearly, the upgraded Viracopos airport has some of the most modern facilities in the world.
Wondering what facilities and amenities can you find at VCP?
Here is a list of facilities and amenities at Viracopos Airport:
- ATMs and banking services
- Currency exchange
- Restaurants & cafes
- Free Wi-Fi
- Duty-free shop
- Information desk
- Hairdresser
- Massage
- Pharmacy
- Medical service
- Post office
- Mobile charging
- Lost and found
- Luggage Storage & Lockers
- Luggage Wrapping
- Lounge
- Travel agencies
Campinas Viracopos Airport Airlines
Arrivals and departures from VCP are mostly domestic, with some international flights as well.
Popular domestic routes from VCP are flights to Brasilia and Rio De Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. Regular international flights are made to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in Florida, USA. Only regular connections to Europe are TAP flights to Lisbon in Portugal.
Since 2008, Viracopos is one of three main hubs for Azul Airlines. Consequently, the vast majority of flights from Viracopos is handled by Azul. Other airlines have significantly fewer departures per month.
Here is the list of all airlines operating at Campinas Viracopos Airport:
- Azul
- GOL
- LATAM
- TAP
Campinas Viracopos Airport Accommodation
Campinas Viracopos Airport FAQ
Getting from the airport to Campinas shouldn’t be a problem.
Public buses don’t drive from 10 pm until 5 am, however, there are other transport options.
Taxis and Ubers are available in front of the airport during the whole day. You can also pre-book a private transfer if you don’t like to gamble with taxis. Besides this, many car rental companies have their offices at the airport.
Yes, there is a designated currency exchange at the airport.
Yes, there is a free WiFi service at the airport.
The airport has two terminals. One is for passengers, while the other is for cargo traffic.
Yes, you can leave your luggage at the lockers & storage area in a garage building outside the airport.
Yes, Uber is available at the airport.
Yes, there is a direct shuttle bus from one airport to the other organized by Azul Airlines. However, their website doesn’t show clear details about the departures so be prepared to find other transportation options.
No, there is no direct bus connecting Viracopos to Guarulhos.
