Direct flights from Brussels to South America for first time in 25 years

Latam Airlines, the largest airline group in South America, will launch its first direct passenger connection from Brussels to Latin America in June 2026.

There will be three flights a week between Brussels Airport and the Brazilian city of São Paulo, connecting the airport to the South American continent for the first time since the year 2000.

“The route significantly strengthens our intercontinental network and offers our passengers direct access to one of the most important hubs in Latin America,” said Arnaud Feist, chief executive of Brussels Airport.

“For travellers from Brazil, Brussels Airport is also an ideal gateway to Belgium and many other European destinations. We look forward to a strong and sustainable partnership.”

Latam also wants to expand its flights to South America from Schiphol in the Netherlands. KLM, which has been operating flights to São Paulo International Airport for some time, will therefore face a new competitor.

Latam has been operating cargo flights at Brussels Airport for some time, and the airport bills itself as "the most important European transport hub for Latam Cargo".

Brussels Airport was connected to various destinations in Latin America in the late 1990s. The former Belgian national airline Sabena also flew to and from the region in 1998 and 1999. The last direct passenger connection during that period was discontinued in 2000 by Brazilian airline VASP.

Brussels Airport has long been keen on renewing this connection. It hopes to fill other gaps in the intercontinental network, too, such as San Francisco on the west coast of the United States or Boston and Philadelphia on the east coast.

In Asia, the airport is looking at destinations such as Delhi (India) and Seoul (South Korea).