Where does the airport get its name?

The name comes from Champ de Mars in Paris, which was named after Campus Martius in Rome.

What role did the airfield play in local aviation history?

The site was the initial airport established in São Paulo and handled air traffic prior to the expansion of Congonhas Airport.

What types of flights operate from the airfield?

The grounds accommodate helicopter traffic, general aviation, and flight training through the São Paulo Flying club.

Is an aviation museum being developed on the grounds?

Municipal and federal authorities concluded an agreement regarding land use to allow construction of an aerospace museum.

Who operates the airport?

The private company Pax Aeroportos manages the airport under a concession agreement.

São Paulo · Brazil

Campo de Marte Airport: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Flight students based on the tarmac balance limited night flying permissions against constant rotary-wing operations.

Campo de Marte Airport · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Paulista Avenue≈ 30 min Pinacoteca de São Paulo≈ 40 min Museum of the Portuguese Language≈ 40 min Mirante do Vale≈ 50 min Edifício Altino Arantes≈ 55 min Edifício Itália≈ 55 min

About the place

Campo de Marte remains the dedicated core of metropolitan general aviation and flight instruction.

The airfield began as the original aviation hub for the metropolis, taking its name from Champ de Mars in Paris and ancient Rome. Early passenger services operated from these runways until recurring river floods and surging flight volumes forced commercial carriers to shift operations toward Congonhas. The grounds also endured aerial bombardment during the Constitutionalist Revolution before military aviation units relocated.

Read on

Today the runways support executive aviation, flight instruction, and substantial helicopter movements. The site serves as headquarters for the São Paulo Flying Club and hosts a regional command of the Brazilian Air Force. Private operator Pax Aeroportos manages the facilities under a long-term concession, maintaining strict limits on after-dark runway access that restrict nocturnal departures almost entirely to rotary aircraft.

Beyond routine flight operations, the grounds hold notable civic significance for the metropolis. Pope Benedict celebrated an outdoor liturgy on the tarmac to canonize Frei Galvão before massive congregations. Formal agreements between national and municipal authorities designate parts of the perimeter for an aviation museum, preserving the airfield where civil pilot training and domestic airline services initially took root.

Associations

São Paulo Flying ClubResident pilot school conducting civil aviation training on site.
Helicopter trafficFrequent rotor flights dominate departures and maintain night privileges.
Night flight restrictionsFixed-wing operations stop after dark due to strict local airspace rules.
Runway flooding historySeasonal overflow from the nearby river previously forced commercial flights away.
Aerospace museum projectPublic authorities reserved perimeter space to showcase domestic flight history.

Facts

The airfield bears the French name of the Parisian parade ground honoring Mars.
Air attacks struck the airfield during the Constitutionalist Revolution.
The site hosted an outdoor mass conducted by Pope Benedict to canonize Frei Galvão.
Commercial airline services relocated away from the grounds due to persistent river flooding.
Private consortium Pax Aeroportos operates the facilities under a commercial concession.

Updated September 10, 2026Source: Wikipedia

Campo de Marte Airport: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

What is around1

Campo de Marte remains the dedicated core of metropolitan general aviation and flight instruction.

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