Dense fog partially disrupted operations at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport on Wednesday morning, September 2, 2026. Visibility had been low since 5:30 a.m., forcing international flights to be temporarily diverted to alternative terminals, including Ciudad del Este and Viru Viru in Bolivia.
Daniel Báez, director of Airports at the National Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DINAC), said the minimum visibility required for operations was 1,000 meters, but measurements fell below that threshold. The airlines affected included Air Europa, Copa Airlines, Avianca and, according to one of the sources, Latam. The flights originated in Madrid, Panama, Colombia, Lima and Buenos Aires.
The decision was a safety procedure. Pilots consulted METAR, a routine aviation weather report, to determine whether conditions allowed another approach. Báez said the aircraft could return to the Paraguayan airport once the fog cleared and operating minima were restored. At least three planes remained circling the area while they waited for favorable conditions.
The diversions caused delays for both passengers arriving in Asunción and travelers departing from the terminal. Authorities advised passengers to contact their airlines directly about changes to schedules and itineraries.
The episode occurred as air transport expands in Paraguay. DINAC data show that passenger traffic at Silvio Pettirossi, Guaraní, Encarnación and Pedro Juan Caballero international airports rose from 937,771 in 2015 to 1,327,387 in 2025, an increase of 41.5%. The 2025 result also surpassed the 2019 pre-pandemic level, when 1,271,976 passengers were recorded.
The pandemic caused a nearly 75% drop in 2020, to 318,867 passengers. Recovery was gradual in the following years, with 715,372 passengers recorded between January and June 2026, compared with 631,814 in the same period of 2025, an increase of 13%. By the end of June, monthly passenger traffic stood at 102,608, compared with 100,594 a year earlier.
Traffic also included 28,389 aircraft operations in the first half of 2026, up 9% from the same period a year earlier. For Nelson Mendoza, DINAC’s national director, the increase strengthens the possibility of Paraguay becoming a regional air and logistics hub, but requires investment to keep pace with demand.
Priorities include expanding and modernizing Silvio Pettirossi, with more parking stands, boarding gates, technology and services, as well as strengthening the air cargo terminal. DINAC also plans to expand connectivity from Encarnación and Ciudad del Este. For the summer season, direct flights between Asunción and Florianópolis are again planned for January and February, although the exact date has not yet been set.