Carrasco Airport Expands to 158 Weekly Flights in June

Record Growth at Carrasco International Airport

Carrasco International Airport (MVD), the primary gateway to Uruguay, has announced an expanded schedule for June, featuring 158 weekly frequencies across 15 direct destinations. Managed by Aeropuertos Uruguay, the official airport operator, the terminal will host 11 airlines to support a growing regional and international network. This expansion follows a banner year for the facility, which handled 2,144,071 passengers in 2025, marking an all-time annual record. Momentum continued into early 2026, with January traffic hitting 210,430 passengers, the highest single-month total in the airport's history.

Network Strategy and Regional Connectivity

Growth at MVD is driven largely by the strengthening of the Brazil-Uruguay aviation corridor. LATAM Airlines leads this expansion, operating the airport's densest route with 24 weekly flights to São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU). The Brazilian market is further supported by Gol, which provides seven weekly frequencies to São Paulo, four to Rio de Janeiro, and one to Fortaleza. Additional capacity is provided by Azul, connecting to Recife and Belo Horizonte twice weekly, and Sky Airline, which serves Rio de Janeiro and Salvador de Bahía.

Beyond Brazil, the airport maintains critical long-haul and regional links. Copa Airlines facilitates North American connectivity through its hub in Panama with 21 weekly flights. Transatlantic service remains anchored by Iberia and Air Europa, which offer a combined 11 weekly frequencies to Madrid. In the neighboring market, Aerolíneas Argentinas has consolidated its presence by shifting all 19 weekly frequencies to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP), bypassing Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) entirely.

Stakeholder Impact and Market Dynamics

For Corporación América Airports, the parent company of Aeropuertos Uruguay, this surge in connectivity is a critical driver for both aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue. Investor data suggests that the consistent growth in passenger volume is validating the airport's role as a primary air hub in the Southern Cone. The regulatory framework, overseen by the Dirección Nacional de Aviación Civil e Infraestructura Aeronáutica (DINACIA), continues to authorize these frequency increases as demand from regional carriers remains robust.

The Brazil-Uruguay Growth Trajectory

Historically, the airport's traffic pattern has mirrored broader South American economic cycles, but the current expansion indicates a decoupling from past stagnation. By surpassing its 2017 peak of 2.11 million passengers, MVD is demonstrating a resilient post-pandemic recovery. The heavy frequency investment from regional carriers like LATAM, JetSmart, and Sky Airline signals a strategic shift toward high-frequency, short-haul connectivity. This trend suggests that MVD is successfully positioning itself as a vital node in the regional network, moving away from reliance on a single primary hub toward a diversified portfolio of direct international routes.

Future Traffic Reporting Milestones

As the airport continues to monitor its recovery and expansion, the next major data point for stakeholders will be the full-year 2026 passenger traffic report. According to projections from Corporación América Airports, this data is expected to be released in January 2027. This report will serve as a key indicator of whether the record-breaking figures from early 2026 can be sustained throughout the remainder of the calendar year.

Why This Matters for Regional Connectivity

This expansion is significant because it provides Uruguayan travelers and businesses with direct access to critical economic centers in Brazil and Europe without requiring secondary connections. For the aviation industry, the consolidation of routes at MVD highlights the growing importance of secondary hubs in the Southern Cone. The shift by Aerolíneas Argentinas to focus exclusively on Aeroparque further illustrates the ongoing preference for city-center airport access, a trend that continues to shape airline scheduling strategies across South America.