São Paulo to Recife (GRU–REC) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections
No flights match your filters.
No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.
Most recently operated nonstop flights — the month shown is when each was last scheduled. Most destinations remain reachable with a connection.
No discontinued nonstop flights on record for this route.
GRU–REC is served by 3 airlines with nonstop service. LATAM Chile, Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras and Sky Express lead the route. The flight covers 1,305 miles in approximately 3h. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.
Airline Landscape
| Airline | Freq/wk | Aircraft | Duration | Dep OTP | Alliance | Codeshares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA LATAM Chile Also: AR, IB, JL, LX, QR, TK, VS | 42 | 321 | 3h-3h05 | – | – | AR, IB, JL, LX, QR, TK, VS |
| AD Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras Also: AV, AZ, CM, EK, ET, TK, TP, UX | 41 | 32N, 32Q | 2h50-3h | – | – | AV, AZ, CM, EK, ET, TK, TP, UX |
| G3 Sky Express Also: AF, AR, AT, AV, CM, EK, ET, SA, TK, TP, UX | 23 | 7M8 | 3h04-3h23 | – | – | AF, AR, AT, AV, CM, EK, ET, SA, TK, TP, UX |
Weekly Schedule Pattern
Connection Landscape
Other ways to reach Recife from São Paulo
| Metric | GRU→REC | CGH→REC | VCP→REC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance from GRU | – | 18 mi | 51 mi |
| Nonstop airlines | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Weekly flights | 448 | 131 | 59 |
| Flight time | 3h | 2h 56m | 2h 52m |
Travel Essentials
GRU: -03 · REC: -03
When it's 6:00 PM in São Paulo, it's 6:00 PM in Recife.
CPTM Line 13-Jade commuter train runs from Luz station (central São Paulo) to the airport terminal in 33 minutes (R$4.40 integrated fare with metro). Trains run every 30 minutes from around 5am to midnight. This route is significantly cheaper than driving, as the Dutra highway (BR-116) suffers chronic congestion.Taxis from Paulista Avenue or Consolação cost R$90–150 and take 45–90 minutes depending on traffic. Ride-hails (99 or Uber) are widely used and typically R$70–120. Executive bus services (Guarucoop, Lira) run from Tietê terminal and Paulista (R$52–62). Traffic on the Dutra highway peaks heavily in afternoon and evening hours.
GRU–REC Quick Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
GRU to REC Route Overview
São Paulo Guarulhos to Recife Guararapes is a key domestic trunk route connecting Brazil's economic capital to the largest city in the Northeast region. LATAM, Gol, and Azul all operate nonstop service. Combined frequency is 12-16 daily departures. Flight time is 3 hours 10 minutes. Aircraft are predominantly Boeing 737-800s and Airbus A320 family. Azul uses both A320s and ATR 72s on thinner slots. Recife is a gateway for onward travel to Fernando de Noronha, Natal, and other Northeast destinations.
Connection and Operational Patterns
Guarulhos handles the largest volume of domestic originations of any Brazilian airport, and the GRU-REC corridor is one of the top 10 domestic pairs by seat capacity in Brazil. Recife Guararapes serves as a regional hub for LATAM's Northeast network, feeding connections to Fortaleza, Maceió, João Pessoa, and Teresina. The airport's metro connection is one of the few in Brazil outside São Paulo and Rio. International passengers arriving at GRU and connecting to REC for coastal holiday travel need to transit between domestic terminals; LATAM's Terminal 3 domestic processing is the most efficient on the GRU side for this routing.