Pato Branco signs order to build new passenger terminal at Regional Airport Professor Juvenal Loureiro Cardoso with R$ 30 million

New passenger terminal project at Regional Airport Professor Juvenal Loureiro Cardoso

The municipal government of Pato Branco, in the south-west of Paraná, signed on Tuesday (30) the service order that authorises the start of works to build a new passenger terminal at Regional Airport Professor Juvenal Loureiro Cardoso. The State Government will invest around R$ 30 million to upgrade the city’s airport terminal, using funds from the State Department of Infrastructure and Logistics (SEIL).

At present, the terminal covers 700 m². The new building will provide 6,400 m² of constructed area-almost nine times larger-and is designed to handle roughly 180 passengers at the same time. The completion period is set at 900 days, and delivery will be carried out by a consortium formed by Embracol and Nazário Elétrica, the successful bidders in the tender run by the municipality.

Land donation, apron expansion and two simultaneous flights

In addition to State backing, the project was made possible through a partnership with the Pato Branco Housing Co-operative (Coohapab), which donated an area of approximately 7,000 m², enabling the new terminal to be built. Once modernised, the airport will be able to run up to two flights simultaneously and will have an apron accommodating three aircraft.

The scheme is expected to strengthen the region’s logistics capacity, improving both passenger travel and cargo handling. “The south-west is a thriving region, with strong economic and technological growth, which calls for planning and a long-term vision for transport infrastructure,” said the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Logistics, Fernando Furiatti.

The new terminal will also allow the airport to serve larger aircraft, significantly increasing passenger throughput. Today, the Regional Airport can receive just over 70 passengers. With the completed structure, it will be able to handle aircraft such as the Embraer E195 used by Azul, which carries about 144 passengers.

Runway, taxiway and lighting works under SEIL and the State Aeronautical Plan (PAE)

The agreement between the State Government and the Pato Branco municipality also covers other essential airport interventions, including extending the runway, building a new taxiway, and installing a new runway lighting system.

“All these agreements have already been signed. We chose to begin with the terminal because it is the most complex work and takes longer to execute. In the meantime, the other interventions will move forward and will allow larger aircraft to start operating at the airport,” explained Mayor Géri Dutra.

Previously, the terminal had already received around R$ 3 million in investment for asphalt paving works, resurfacing, and runway horizontal markings for the landing strip, runway end safety area, apron, and taxiway. It also received the PAPI system (Precision Approach Path Indicator), which improves safety and the terminal’s operational capacity.

On Friday (26), a team from SEIL’s Department of Infrastructure and Logistics Management and Planning carried out a technical visit to Pato Branco Regional Airport to update the State Aeronautical Plan (PAE). The aim is to refresh local airport infrastructure information, supporting short-, medium-, and long-term planning for the regional aviation system.

The review covered aircraft movement areas, the passenger terminal, property areas, and the services and navigation aids available at the aerodrome. The airport already hosts scheduled services and is emerging as one of the State’s connectivity points.

Updating the State Aeronautical Plan (PAE) is a key tool for consolidating the policy of expanding and strengthening Paraná’s regional aviation network, which stands out as one of the most connected in the country. Beyond boosting scheduled passenger transport, bringing businesses closer together, and supporting inland trade and industry, maintaining a structured network of public airports plays a strategic social role.

Regional aerodromes also act as vital operational bases for public security missions, urgent aeromedical response within the health system, and rapid routes for transporting organs for transplants-saving lives by shortening distances that would be unfeasible by road.