Departure
100%
vs 95% ▲ 5
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport serves the city of João Pessoa in Paraíba, Brazil, from a single long runway laid out on a 16/34 axis. Operated by AENA under a long-term concession, it handles scheduled domestic services from Azul, Gol and LATAM Brasil, making it a straightforward destination for a sim pilot flying into north-eastern Brazil under air traffic control.
Presidente Castro Pinto International Airport (ICAO SBJP, IATA JPA) is the international gateway for João Pessoa, capital of the state of Paraíba, though the field itself lies within the municipality of Santa Rita. It is a single-runway commercial airport operated by AENA, handling scheduled airline traffic from carriers such as Azul, Gol and LATAM Brasil, and offers a realistic destination for a VFR or IFR sim pilot wanting a moderately busy Brazilian regional international airport.
The airport sits in the municipality of Santa Rita, roughly 12 km from downtown João Pessoa, in the state of Paraíba on Brazil's north-eastern coast. As an international airport with scheduled commercial services it operates within controlled airspace, with approach and tower services provided on a shared frequency.
The airport has a single physical runway, 16/34, measuring 8,237 ft with a hard surface and runway lighting. There is no ILS installed.
Air traffic services are provided under the callsign Pessoa, with both approach control (APP) and tower (TWR) operating on 118.3 MHz. No ILS is available at the field.
The airport was officially opened on 20 August 1957. It takes its name, adopted from 2 August 1960, from João Pereira de Castro Pinto (1863-1944), a lawyer and writer who served as President (the contemporary title for State Governor) of Paraíba from 1912 to 1915. From 1 February 1979 until 14 March 2019 the airport was administered by Infraero, during which time major renovation and enlargement of the runway, taxiways and apron took place between 1980 and 1981. A cargo terminal opened in 1983 and a new passenger terminal followed in 1985, with further renovation and expansion carried out in 1995. On 15 March 2019 AENA won a 30-year concession to operate the airport, taking over from Infraero.
The airport is currently operated by AENA under its 30-year concession and continues to handle scheduled domestic services, with Azul, Gol and LATAM Brasil operating routes to cities including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Recife, Salvador and Belo Horizonte, along with some seasonal domestic and limited international connections.