โฐ Minimum Connection Times
Domestic โ Domestic
45
minutes
Domestic โ International
90
minutes
Interline Connections
110
minutes
๐ข Terminal Information
Pinheiro Airport (PHI), officially known as Aeroporto Regional de Pinheiro โ Prefeito Diogo de Sousa, is a domestic aviation facility serving the Baixada Maranhense region in the state of Maranhรฃo, Brazil. The airport functions primarily as a regional landing ground and is currently undergoing a major revitalization project led by the State Government to modernize its infrastructure. It acts as a critical link for the surrounding agricultural and fishing communities, primarily supporting air taxis, private charters, and essential medical transport.
The current terminal infrastructure is modest and focused on basic transit services, providing a functional waiting area and administrative offices. However, as of early 2026, the facility is nearing the completion of a comprehensive upgrade that includes an expanded passenger terminal building, new security fencing, and modernized access roads. While the building lacks large-scale commercial amenities like retail shops or food courts, it provides a secure environment for travelers and pilots transitioning to the interior of the state.
Operationally, the airport features a substantial 5,709-foot (1,740m) asphalt runway capable of supporting medium-sized aircraft like the Boeing 737. The ongoing upgrades include the installation of a new night lighting system (*balizamento noturno*), which will eventually allow for 24-hour emergency operations and medical evacuations. Ground transportation to central Pinheiro, located approximately 3.7 miles (6 km) to the southeast along the MA-106 highway, is informal and typically managed via local taxi services or pre-arranged private vehicle transfers.
๐ Connection Tips
Pinheiro Airport is the local gateway to Pinheiro and the surrounding area in Maranhรฃo, so the connection is a short road transfer into town rather than a major commercial interchange. If you are arriving for family, business, or a regional visit, a taxi or pre-arranged car is usually the cleanest way to finish the trip because the airport is not built around a dense terminal-side transport network. For travelers continuing deeper into western Maranhรฃo, the airport is best treated as the first step in a ground itinerary and not as a hub for changing airlines. That makes PHI useful precisely because it is simple: you land close to town, get into the vehicle, and move on with the rest of the day. The key is to know who is meeting you before you leave the last airport, because small regional fields do not leave much room for improvisation if the pickup is late. If you are connecting from a larger city, it is usually wiser to plan the regional road segment separately and keep the airport arrival protected. In practice, PHI works best when the next leg is already visible on the map and the airport is just the quick start to it. The airport is efficient when used that way, and frustrating when you expect it to function like a larger connector in the Brazilian network.
โฐ Minimum Connection Times
Domestic โ Domestic
60
minutes
Domestic โ International
90
minutes
Interline Connections
120
minutes
๐ข Terminal Information
Piloto Osvaldo Marques Dias Airport (AFL/SBAT) serves as a crucial gateway to Brazil's southern Amazon region, operating from a fully renovated regional passenger terminal located 6 kilometers from downtown Alta Floresta. Opened in 1976 and operated by Aeroeste since winning a 30-year concession in 2019, this airport boasts the longest runway in Mato Grosso state at 2,500 meters - the fourth longest in Brazil's entire Central-West region.
The modern terminal building efficiently handles domestic flights, primarily connecting Alta Floresta with Sรฃo Paulo (Viracopos) and Cuiabรก through Azul Airlines operations. The single-level layout integrates all passenger services from check-in to boarding in a compact, air-conditioned environment. Large windows provide views of the surrounding Mato Grosso landscape while passengers wait in comfortable seating areas equipped with modern amenities.
Passenger services include restaurants offering local and international cuisine, gift shops featuring regional handicrafts, ATM facilities for convenient banking, and secure parking areas for various trip durations. The airport serves as the primary access point for Amazon ecotourism destinations, particularly Cristalino Lodge, with ground transportation readily connecting passengers to boat transfers along the Teles Pires and Cristalino rivers for jungle excursions one hour's drive from the terminal.
๐ Connection Tips
Piloto Osvaldo Marques Dias Airport operates as southern Amazon Brazil's premier ecotourism gateway, featuring Brazil's Central-West region's fourth-longest runway (2,500 meters) and comprehensive airline connectivity through Azul Airlines' primary service from Sรฃo Paulo Viracopos (VCP) with twice-daily 2-hour 35-minute flights, plus regular Cuiabรก (CGB) connections covering 650 kilometers in 1 hour 10 minutes. The facility, operated by Aeroeste under a 30-year concession since 2019, efficiently handles 65,000+ annual passengers through its modernized terminal located 6 kilometers from downtown Alta Floresta.
Domestic connections require 60-90 minutes minimum through the single-terminal layout, with LATAM Brasil and GOL Linhas Aรฉreas providing supplementary service alongside Azul's dominant network connectivity. The airport serves as Brazil's primary access point for pristine Amazon rainforest experiences, particularly supporting Cristalino Lodge and surrounding private reserves containing 580+ bird species, 1,400+ butterfly species, and critical biodiversity conservation areas on the rainforest-farmland frontier.
Ground transportation coordination includes pre-arranged lodge transfers via the Teles Pires and Cristalino rivers (1-hour drive plus boat transfers), rental car services essential during peak birding seasons, and specialized ecotourism operators providing comprehensive Amazon adventure packages. The facility's strategic position enables access to UNESCO-recognized biodiversity hotspots, with professional naturalist guides, world-class bird watching opportunities, jaguar tracking expeditions, and sustainable tourism programs supporting indigenous communities throughout Mato Grosso's remaining rainforest corridors.
Connection planning should account for seasonal weather patterns affecting Amazon operations, particularly during wet season (December-April) when afternoon thunderstorms can impact departure schedules. The airport's comprehensive amenities include regional cuisine restaurants, gift shops featuring local handicrafts, ATM facilities, secure parking, and tourism coordination services supporting multi-day Amazon immersion experiences accessing areas containing some of Earth's highest biodiversity concentrations within one of Brazil's most important ecological preservation regions.
โ Back to Pinheiro Airport