São Luís–Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (IATA: SLZ, ICAO: SBSL), formerly called Tirirical Airport, is the airport serving São Luís, Brazil. Since 17 October 1985, the airport is named after Air Marshall Hugo da Cunha Machado (1898–1989), born in Maranhão.
In 1942, a grass track measuring one thousand meters (runway 09/27), which served the airbase of the Brazilian Army, was the only way that São Luís had to receive flights. Runway 06/24 was built as part of the US base which began operating in 1943.
In 1974, technical jurisdiction, administrative and operational services were transferred to Infraero.
The new terminal of the airport was opened in June 1998 and in October 2004, it was upgraded to international category.
Previously operated by Infraero, on April 7, 2021, CCR won a 30-year concession to operate the airport.
Following is the number of passenger, aircraft and cargo movements at the airport, according to Infraero (2007-2021) and CCR (2022-2023) reports:
Year
Passenger
Aircraft
Cargo (t)
2023
1,548,876
20,205
4,060
2022
1,128,108
16,585
3,403
2021
1,116,871 34%
15,754 28%
3,611 39%
2020
836,336 50%
12,311 31%
2,602 52%
2019
1,675,549 5%
17,816 5%
5,430 2%
2018
1,598,004
18,733 5%
5,300 27%
2017
1,601,836 5%
19,695 4%
4,188 20%
2016
1,520,847 11%
18,880 20%
3,495 30%
2015
1,701,015 7%
23,470 9%
4,488 24%
2014
1,833,799 1%
25,821 8%
6,530 8%
2013
1,815,909 9%
27,975 8%
7,063 12%
2012
1,991,099 8%
30,358 9%
8,018 15%
2011
1,843,384 34%
27,924 18%
9,477 18%
2010
1,379,146 40%
23,643 23%
8,000 9%
2009
984,756 13%
19,284
7,330 5%
2008
870,784 3%
19,310 3%
7,693 10%
2007
900,357
19,994
6,973
Note:
: 2022 series provided by CCR is incomplete, lacking data for the months of January, February and part of March.
Accidents and incidents
1 June 1973: a Cruzeiro do SulSud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI N registration PP-PDX operating flight 109 from Belém-Val de Cans to São Luís crashed on approach to São Luís. Engine no.1 lost power and the aircraft attained an extreme nose-up attitude. It stalled and crashed 760m to the right of the runway. All 23 passengers and crew died.
3 February 1984: a Cruzeiro do SulAirbus A300B4-203 operating flight 302 en route from São Luís to Belém-Val de Cans with 176 passengers and crew aboard was hijacked by 3 persons who demanded to be taken to Cuba. The flight reached Camagüey in less than a day. There were no deaths among the victims.
Access
The airport is located 15 km (9 mi) from downtown São Luís.
^Germano da Silva, Carlos Ari César (2008). "O mistério do Tirirical". O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes 1928–1996 (in Portuguese) (2 ed.). Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS. pp. 279–284. ISBN978-85-7430-760-2.
34%
50%
