Airport Codes
Total 1 airports of SLZ
Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport (IATA: SLZ, ICAO:SBSL) is located in the the city of Sao Luis, Brazil. It is the primary international airport serving Sao Luis and its surrounding metropolitan area. Phone Number :+55983217-6138
Airport Overview
Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport(SLZ), also identified by ICAO code SBSL, serves São Luís in Maranhão, northeastern Brazil. The airport is located approximately 15 km from central São Luís and functions primarily as a regional passenger airport with an important air-cargo role for the city and its surrounding industrial, commercial and coastal economic areas. Its position makes it a practical gateway for time-sensitive shipments moving between Maranhão and larger Brazilian distribution centres, while international cargo normally requires an onward connection and carrier-specific acceptance confirmation.
| Airport | Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport |
|---|---|
| Codes | IATA: SLZ · ICAO: SBSL |
| Location | São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil |
| Coordinates | −2.5853601, −44.2341003 |
| Local time | UTC−03:00 |
Key Highlights
- Regional gateway: The airport is best assessed as a regional commercial airport rather than a dedicated Brazilian cargo hub.
- Domestic feeder dependence: International shipments commonly require interline, trucking or hub-based connections through another Brazilian gateway; routing depends on available capacity and acceptance rules.
- Urban access: The stated distance of approximately 15 km from downtown São Luís can support local delivery and collection planning, subject to traffic and terminal release procedures.
- Moderate cargo scale: The supplied reference record states a 600 m² cargo terminal and approximately 11,607 kg of daily air cargo, indicating the need for pre-booking on constrained or special-handling shipments.
- Operational variability: Cut-off times, warehouse receiving hours, customs availability and special cargo acceptance must be reconfirmed for each flight and commodity.
Cargo Facilities & Services
- Cargo terminal: The supplied airport record lists a cargo terminal of 600 m². This figure should be treated as a reference indicator, not as confirmation of available storage capacity for a particular shipment.
- General cargo handling: Standard export and import handling may be arranged through the appointed ground handler or carrier, with acceptance subject to booking, documentation and aircraft capacity.
- Temperature-sensitive cargo: Cold-chain staging, cool-room access, gel-pack handling and transfer protection must be confirmed in writing before tendering pharmaceuticals, perishables or other temperature-sensitive goods.
- Dangerous goods: Acceptance normally depends on the carrier’s dangerous-goods capability, shipper’s declaration, packaging, labels and applicable Brazilian and international rules. Do not assume routine acceptance at the airport.
- Customs-controlled handling: Import and export release arrangements, bonded custody and inspection procedures depend on the shipment regime and the responsible authorities. Our service team coordinates the document handover with the broker and carrier.
Routes & Transit Times
- Domestic distribution: Cargo is generally planned through available domestic services linking São Luís with major Brazilian cargo and passenger hubs. The actual gateway, airline and number of transfers vary by origin, destination, commodity and booking date.
- International movement: Shipments to or from North America, Europe, Asia and other regions will commonly require a connection through a Brazilian or foreign gateway. Through-routing and interline acceptance must be checked before issuing shipping instructions.
- Transit planning: Airport-to-airport time is affected by flight availability, connection protection, weekend schedules, customs release, warehouse cut-offs and irregular-operation recovery. Our platform provides a confirmed routing only after carrier validation.
- Alternative routing: For urgent or capacity-sensitive cargo, our team compares direct air options with hub routing, road feeder services and nearby gateway alternatives, considering total transit time and customs requirements rather than flight time alone.
Hinterland & Key Cargo
- Primary catchment: São Luís and the wider Maranhão market form the airport’s immediate commercial hinterland, with onward road distribution required for locations outside the metropolitan area.
- Industrial and project supply: Machinery parts, maintenance components, electrical equipment, industrial consumables and urgent replacement items are suitable candidates for air freight when production downtime is material.
- Perishables: Seafood, agricultural products and other time-sensitive goods may use air transport when shelf-life or market timing justifies the cost. Packaging, pre-cooling and acceptance conditions require advance review.
- Consumer and commercial cargo: Electronics, apparel, samples, documents and e-commerce consignments may move through the airport, subject to security screening, customs classification and carrier restrictions.
- Reverse logistics: Warranty returns and repair shipments should be prepared with clear commercial descriptions, valuation, import purpose and any temporary-export or re-import documentation required by the applicable customs regime.
Operations & Compliance
- Booking and cut-off: The carrier’s cargo acceptance cut-off may be earlier than the passenger flight departure time. Our service team obtains the operative tender deadline, warehouse location and document cut-off for each booking.
- Documents: Export shipments generally require accurate commercial documents, packing details, shipper and consignee information, air waybill instructions and any customs or product-specific permits. Inconsistent weights, values or descriptions can trigger rework or inspection.
- Special cargo: Dangerous goods, lithium batteries, live animals, pharmaceuticals, perishables, oversized pieces and high-value cargo require advance commodity screening. Acceptance is subject to IATA rules, carrier procedures and Brazilian authority requirements.
- Customs and release: Import clearance, inspection selection, tax treatment and final release are separate from airline arrival. Consignees should appoint a qualified Brazilian customs broker and prepare promptly for document queries or physical examination.
Shipping Tips
- Send the commercial invoice, packing list, cargo dimensions, gross weight, commodity description and any special-handling details to our service team before requesting a firm routing.
- For perishables and pharmaceuticals, specify product temperature range, packaging method, coolant status, required transfer protection and maximum acceptable exposure time; do not rely on a generic “keep cool” instruction.
- For batteries and dangerous goods, provide the UN number, proper shipping name, packing instruction, battery configuration and completed declarations where applicable before cargo tender.
- Build contingency into shipments moving through a Brazilian hub, especially for weekend arrivals, customs-sensitive cargo and production-critical parts. Our team can compare hub routing and road feeder alternatives before dispatch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Marechal Cunha Machado International Airport handle international cargo?
International movement may be possible through the available carrier and customs arrangement, but many shipments require an onward connection through another gateway. Our service team confirms the complete routing, import or export process and special-cargo acceptance before booking.
Is a 600 m² cargo terminal sufficient for large shipments?
The supplied reference record states a 600 m² cargo terminal, but terminal area does not guarantee open storage positions, equipment availability or acceptance for oversized cargo. Large, palletized or project shipments require advance capacity confirmation.
How early should cargo be delivered before departure?
There is no single airport-wide cut-off for every carrier or commodity. The operative deadline may change according to flight, warehouse, security screening and customs requirements. Our team provides the confirmed tender time with the booking instruction.
Can temperature-controlled cargo be shipped through the airport?
It may be accepted when the selected carrier and ground handler can support the required handling process. Cold-room availability, transfer exposure, packaging and release timing must be confirmed before dispatch.
What is the best alternative if capacity is unavailable?
Our service team can assess another domestic gateway, a hub connection or a road feeder solution. The decision should consider customs routing, total transit time, handling risk and final delivery distance rather than capacity alone.
Data Sources & Provenance
The airport identity, IATA and ICAO codes, coordinates, address, time zone and reference terminal indicators are based on the airport data supplied for this page. Operational statements concerning routing, acceptance, customs, warehouse handling and special cargo are presented as conditional logistics guidance and must be verified for the selected shipment and date.
For independent regulatory and industry cross-checking, our service team refers to the following authoritative sources:
- anac.gov.br — Brazilian civil aviation regulatory information and airport-sector references.
- iata.org — international airline, air cargo and dangerous-goods industry guidance.
- gov.br — Brazilian federal government information and links to competent customs and regulatory authorities.