Contributor - South America

Richard Pedicini

LABACE opened yesterday at São Paulo Campo de Marte Airport, a new venue for the event, but with amplified energy, perhaps driven by remarkable industry growth numbers. “For the first time, they’re all in double digits,” Flávio Pires, CEO of Brazilian business aviation association and LABACE organizer ABAG, said in his opening address. “Business jets are up 18%, turboprops 13%, turbine helicopters 10%,” with the Brazilian business jet fleet reaching 10,940 aircraft as of June.
The 20th edition of LABACE is the first outside its long-time home at São Paulo Congonhas Airport, from which it was expelled by construction to expand airline passenger capacity. Several pillars of ABAG and LABACE, such as TAM Aviação Executiva and Lider Aviação, also were forced to relocate from their Congonhas bases of more than 50 years to make way for the passenger terminal expansion.&nbsp;
LABACE was greeted with open arms at the Brazilian Air Force’s PAMA installations at Campo de Marte. Air Force Commandant Marcelo Damasceno said the Air Force was proud to welcome the fair to the “cradle of civil aviation in São Paulo” and also the site of the air force’s first flight. He also hailed plans for the Paulista Museum of Aviation, which is planned to open in 2027, including aircraft from the air force’s historic collection, as well as from the Asas de um Sonho collection created by TAM’s founder.
The audience included an impressive gathering of general officers—brigadiers in Brazilian air force terminology—and dozens of other lower-rank officers who wore reproductions of WWII-era khaki uniforms while distributing museum brochures. A campaign tent and period combat aircraft drew visitors to the far end of the vast display area; one woman officer described her uniform as “poetic license,” since the only women in the service then were nurses.
The acting president of Brazil’s ANAC aviation agencuy, Adriano Pinto de Miranda, also appeared and spoke of the importance of general aviation and business aviation to Brazil: reaching areas that have no scheduled operations. Particularly important to business aviation was the presence of city economic development secretary Rodrigo Goulart, who said that one of the administration’s priorities is preparing to receive eVTOLs. There are recurrent pressures on Campo de Marte by developers eyeing its valuable real estate.
Fair organizers noted that this year’s LABACE show occupies three times the area it did in previous years at Congonhas. Indeed, the 2025 edition of the exhibition appears vast, with aircraft placed for best effect rather than to fit available space like it was at Congonhas. A single large tent wraps around the Air Force hangars—the auditorium is in one of them—and has greater headroom than in past LABACEs.
When the sun goes down, LABACE comes into its own. Aviation runs on jet-A and the thunder of turbines; but at LABACE in the evening, alcohol is everywhere, the roar of conversation is constant, and familiar faces are everywhere.

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LABACE Takes Flight at New São Paulo Campo de Marte Airport Home

The 20th edition of LABACE is the first outside its long-time Congonhas Airport venue

LABACE opened today at Campo de Marte, a new venue, but with amplified energy, perhaps driven by remarkable industry growth numbers.

LABACE Takes Flight at New Campo de Marte Airport Home

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