SDUlarge airport

Santos Dumont Airport

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Explore Rio de Janeiro city guide Navigate to this airport

Routes out

Destinations

ICAO

SBRJ

Elevation

11 ft

The gateway in a glance

The Essence of Santos Dumont Airport

SDU

Location

Rio de Janeiro · RJ · Brazil

Connectivity

30 routes · 18 destinations

Position

-22.910°, -43.163° · 11 ft elev.

Visa & Entry

Visa-free entry (many countries), eVisa (US, CA, AU citizens)Official

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A closer look

Living guide content for Santos Dumont Airport — read or listen in 46+ languages.

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TravelerPulse profile

Rio's downtown airport, gateway to Brazil's major cities.

Opened

1936

Location

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Santos Dumont Airport is a domestic airport located in the heart of Rio de Janeiro, situated on a landfill peninsula along Guanabara Bay. It serves primarily short-haul domestic routes and is named after Alberto Santos Dumont, the pioneering Brazilian aviation figure. The airport is known for its convenient central location, making it far more accessible to downtown Rio than the international Galeão Airport. It handles millions of passengers annually, with a strong focus on the busy air bridge route connecting Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo's Congonhas Airport. Due to its urban setting and runway constraints, Santos Dumont operates exclusively domestic flights. Its proximity to landmarks such as the Museum of Tomorrow and the revitalized port area makes it a unique urban airport experience.

Terminals

The airport has two adjacent terminal buildings that function as a single integrated passenger facility.

Getting to & from

The airport is accessible by taxi, ride-hailing services, and city buses, with the nearby Aeroporto light rail (VLT) station providing connections to central Rio de Janeiro.

Airlines here

LATAM Airlines and Gol Linhas Aéreas are the primary carriers operating at Santos Dumont, with Azul Brazilian Airlines also serving the airport.

Notable facts

›Named after Alberto Santos Dumont, a Brazilian aviation pioneer credited in Brazil with inventing the airplane.
›Handles the high-frequency Rio–São Paulo air bridge, one of the busiest domestic routes in South America.
›Built on a landfill peninsula jutting into Guanabara Bay, giving it a distinctive waterfront setting.
›Operates only domestic flights due to runway length and airspace constraints.
›Located approximately 3 km from the city center, making it one of the most centrally positioned airports in Brazil.

Official website Wikipedia

This profile is provided for general information only. Details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airport's official website before acting on them.

Route map (18 destinations)

Leaflet © OpenStreetMap © CARTO

Airlines serving this airport

Air Paradise International

Azul

City Connexion Airlines

Gol Transportes Aéreos

Sky Express

TAM Brazilian Airlines

Oceanair

FlyLal

Yangtze River Express

Marusya Airways

Routes

SDU → GYNAD · E90

SDU → CAWAD · AT7

SDU → CGHAD · E90

SDU → MEAAD · AT4

SDU → POAAD · E90

SDU → SJKAD · AT7 E90

SDU → CWBAD · E90

SDU → GRUAD · E90 E95

SDU → VCPAD · E95 E90

SDU → BPSAD · E90

SDU → CNFAD · E90 E95

SDU → VIXAD · E90 E95

SDU → BSBG3 · 738 73G

SDU → CNFG3 · 73G 738

SDU → GRUG3 · 738 73G

SDU → VIXG3 · 73G 738

SDU → CGHG3 · 738

SDU → AJUJJ · 319

SDU → BSBJJ · 319

SDU → CNFJJ · 319

SDU → VIXJJ · 319

SDU → IOSJJ · 319

SDU → CGHJJ · 319

SDU → BSBO6 · 318 319

SDU → CGHO6 · 319

SDU → SSAO6 · 319

SDU → CFBTE · L4T

SDU → MEATE · L4T

SDU → SJKTE · L4T

SDU → RAOY8 · EM2

Aircraft operating here

Embraer 19010 routes Airbus A3199 routes Boeing 737-8005 routes Embraer 1954 routes Boeing 737-7004 routes L4T3 routes Aerospatiale/Alenia ATR 722 routes Aerospatiale/Alenia ATR 42-3001 routes Airbus A3181 routes Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia1 routes

Stay, Eat & Explore: Rio de Janeiro

The marvelous city

•Christ the Redeemer — The 38-metre Art-Deco Christ atop Corcovado.
•Sugarloaf Mountain — Two cable cars to the bay's most famous view.
•Copacabana & Ipanema — The world's most celebrated urban beaches.
•Escadaria Selarón — The 215 tiled steps of Lapa.
•Tijuca National Park — The world's largest urban rainforest — waterfalls included.

Getting around: Metro lines link the Zona Sul beaches to downtown; use app-cabs at night. Santos Dumont airport is downtown; Galeão connects by BRT.

Full Rio de Janeiro guide → Places to stay Dining guide

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City & Place Guide

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Passport, Visa & Immigration

Flying internationally via SDU? Check entry, transit and customs requirements for Brazil from official government sources.

Brazil visa & entry information →Embassy & consulate finder →

Encyclopaedia

Santos Dumont Airport is the second major airport serving Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is more of a domestic hub, with Galeão International Airport serving international flights after 2023.

Read full article on Wikipedia

Latest news

TRBusiness· 7/6/2026

Avolta expands Santos Dumont footprint with new 10-year contract

Read at TRBusiness

Moodie Davitt Report· 7/1/2026

Avolta extends contract tenure and retail footprint at Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont Airport

Read at Moodie Davitt Report

DFNI· 7/2/2026

Avolta expands Santos Dumont Airport presence with larger walkthrough store

Read at DFNI

Valor International· 2/4/2026

Government keeps passenger cap at Rio’s Santos Dumont

Read at Valor International

BNamericas· 12/24/2025

The concession plan for Rio de Janeiro’s international airport may face a significant challenge

Read at BNamericas

Valor International· 12/22/2025

Raising airport passenger cap at Santos Dumont could hit Galeão

Read at Valor International

About on Wikipedia

Santos Dumont Airport

Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Santos Dumont Airport is the second major airport serving Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is more of a domestic hub, with Galeão International Airport serving international flights after 2023.

Read on Wikipedia

Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA. May be out of date — verify important details.