Sao Paulo airport opens new terminal for World Cup

RIO DE JANEIRO - Sao Paulo's airport, one of the busiest in Latin America, opened a new international terminal Sunday - just in time for the football World Cup.

The new terminal at Guarulhos, under construction since February 2012, opened its doors just ahead of deadline, Globo's news site G1 reported.

It features a glass facade and soaring interiors inspired by Asian designs, its builder said. It has had problems with leaks, signage and bathrooms out of service, G1 reported.

Though it won't be operating at full capacity right away, it will help ease passenger volume for the month-long tournament beginning June 12.

A Lufthansa flight was the first to roll up to the new building early Sunday, with another 12 flights coming in through the course of the day.

Remodeling or replacing outdated and overburdened airports has been among the significant issues for World Cup organizers.

About 600,000 foreign visitors are expected for the World Cup, in addition to about three million Brazilians who will travel domestically for the matches.