Kleyton Mendes, CEO of Concessionária dos Aeroportos da Amazônia and Luciana Procoro, Head Manaus Airport Cargo outline how targeted investment and regulatory alignment are transforming a remote gateway into a fast, globally connected e-commerce and cargo hub.
From regional backbone to international ambition
This reality is changing. Manaus Airport, transferred to the management of VINCI Airports in 2022 in a successful and pioneering operation, already boasts the third largest cargo terminal in the country. Driven by an industrial economy largely focused on supplying the domestic market, the airport served as the backbone of the regional logistics chain. Now, its ambitions extend far beyond domestic borders.
Starting in July 2026, the Manaus Cargo Terminal will begin operating an express courier service. This change reduces the delivery time for international purchases from up to 60 days to about a week. For the population of Northern Brazil, this represents a structural transformation. Until then, orders purchased on global platforms followed an exhausting route: they left Asia, passed through major logistics centres in the Southeast, arrived in São Paulo and continued, often by road, to Curitiba, only then reaching Manaus, accumulating days and inefficiencies at each stage.
Redesigning cargo flows
With the courier service in operation, this logic is completely redesigned. Cargo now follows direct routes, especially the China–Miami–Manaus route, with customs clearance carried out at the Manaus Cargo Terminal itself. The elimination of intermediate steps reduces transit time, increases predictability, and substantially improves the end consumer experience.
Making the project viable required a structured licensing process with the Civil Aviation Authority in Brazil and the Federal Revenue Service, initiated in July 2025 and concluded in November of the same year. Simultaneously, investments of approximately R$1.7 million were made in technological modernisation and adaptation of the terminal, including the implementation of a new warehouse management system (WMS), specifically designed to meet the requirements of customs authorities.
With this initiative, Manaus Airport becomes the first in the northern region to operate international courier services, joining the group of the main logistics hubs of the country, alongside Guarulhos, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, and Curitiba. The initial estimate is a volume of approximately 10,000 packages per day, equivalent to the flow currently received via Guarulhos, a number that highlights the scale of the pent-up demand about to be met.
Tapping into global e-commerce growth
From a market perspective, the project aligns with the accelerated expansion of global e-commerce, which could exceed US$4 trillion this year. Consumer behaviour is increasingly driven by convenience, speed and flexibility, placing logistics at the centre of the shopping experience. Manaus is positioning itself to capture a portion of this global flow.
In addition to benefiting the consumer, the courier service opens a strategic front for the regional economy. The inclusion of Manaus on the international e-commerce logistics map creates conditions to expand exports of products from the Manaus Free Trade Zone and items produced in the Amazon. The same infrastructure that enables faster imports can become an accelerator for regional exports, stimulating business, jobs, expanding markets, and strengthening the competitiveness of an economy whose potential has long been limited by geography and logistical friction.
Building a platform for regional growth
The initial operation relies on a courier operator with contracts signed with the largest global e-commerce platforms, such as Amazon, Shopee, Shein, and Temu, ensuring immediate integration with the main flows of the sector.
More than an operational innovation, the implementation of the courier service represents a strategic development move by VINCI Airports. Since 2022, when Concessionária dos Aeroportos da Amazônia took over operations in Manaus, the guideline has been clear: modernise the infrastructure, expand connectivity, and transform the airport into a driver of economic growth.
Given the logistical challenges of the Amazon, initiatives like this demonstrate that it is possible to build efficient solutions capable of reducing distances and integrating the region into the global scenario. And the courier service symbolises more than just speed in deliveries; it is another step in consolidating Manaus as a logistical hub for the region and a decisive step towards a more connected, competitive and future-ready Amazon.
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