1939: Brazil Gets a New Airport

December 18, 1939

In southeastern Brazil, an airport serving the city serving the city of Montes Claros was officially opened. This airport is specifically located four miles (seven kilometers) northeast of the downtown section of the city.

The first airline to operate at the Monte Claros Airport was Panair do Brasil, which existed from 1930 to 1965. For several years, this airline was the largest carrier in not only Brazil but all of Latin America.

In 2003, the Monte Claros Airport was renamed in memory of Mário Ribeiro (1924-1999). A lifelong resident of Monte Claros, Ribeiro was a prominent local doctor. He was also a politician whose wide range of roles included serving as mayor of Monte Claros from 1988 to 1992.

A bust of Ribeiro that had been created by artist Gu Ferreira was formally unveiled in front of the airport terminal in 2021. Since 2022, Montes Claros-Mário Ribeiro Airport has been operated by AENA (Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea).

Photo Credit: Randyaz (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International licenses at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)

Additional information on airports in Brazil is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_Brazil