An automated sequencing batch reactor operation based on online measurement of the ammonium concentration was investigated as a tool for improving the start-up of a nitrifying granular airlift reactor. The effectiveness of this start-up procedure was verified with the characteristics of the developed granular sludge but also the improvement of the start-up was confirmed when comparing with the results achieved with two continuous-mode start-up strategies. Once a stable granular biomass was obtained, the reactor started to operate in continuous mode during more than 100 days, maintaining the characteristics of the granular biomass and achieving a nitrogen loading rate of 1.75 g N L⁻¹ d⁻¹. The intermittent recirculation of small flocs of nitrifying biomass was explored as an alternative to increase the biomass concentration in the reactor and consequently, to increase the treated loading rate.