Uruguay and Brazil Inaugurate First Binational Airport in the Americas

At the end of 2023, Uruguay and Brazil inaugurated the first binational airport in the Americas in the Uruguayan department of Rivera, bordering the two countries.  

The Rivera airport will allow both Brazilian and Uruguayan airlines to carry out operations of their domestic flights simultaneously, perfectly optimising the use of infrastructure between the northern Uruguayan city and its Brazilian neighbour, Santana do Livramento, separated by a street. The region, averaging about 200,000 inhabitants, will significantly benefit from this new dynamic.  

On becoming a part of Corporación América Airports (Airports Uruguay), Rivera Airport went under infrastructure development works valued at USD 13 million. These included passenger terminal expansion to 820 sq.m, upgrades in the control tower and communication system, facilities for the National Air Police, a fire station, runway repaving, and LED lighting on the airfield and the platform. 

During the inauguration ceremony, the President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, said, “There was listening, political decision, and trust in the committed word. A people is defined by the people who live in each place. 

“There is a real physical integration that the limits of maps do not respect,” he added. 

CEO of Corporación América Airports in Uruguay, Diego Arrosa, said, “This inauguration represents another step in our goal to develop a solid airport network for Uruguay that strengthens connectivity and becomes a driver of economic, tourist, and logistical development for our country.”  

Governor of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, described the project as a symbol of progress, additionally explaining lower taxes on the prices and that flights between Rivera and Porto Alegre will have the same tax benefits as their regional flights.