Santos Dumont Airport SDUSBRJ

Santos Dumont (SDU) is Rio’s downtown domestic airport, built for short and medium-haul Brazilian flying rather than long-haul or international connections. It is most useful for the Rio-Sao Paulo Congonhas shuttle and domestic links on Azul, GOL and LATAM; it is not a major global-alliance hub, and Rio’s international gateway role sits mainly with Galeao (GIG). The passenger complex is compact: departures and arrivals use separate but connected halls, with domestic gates close enough that there is no terminal-transfer shuttle. For Centro, the VLT light rail from the airport is usually the most predictable option; taxis or ride-hailing are often simpler with bags or for Zona Sul. Layovers are easy if you stay domestic and protected on one ticket, but self-connections should not be cut tight, especially with checked luggage or a transfer to GIG.

Timezone: America/Sao_Paulo

Airport lounges

Lounge access is reference info; commission never ranks.

Official info

Official site

https://www4.infraero.gov.br/aeroporto-santos-dumont/

Customer service

0800 727 1234

As of 2026-06-20 — confirm with the airport.

Airport facts

ICAO

SBRJ

Elevation

11 ft

Scheduled service

Yes

Runways

2

Longest runway

4341 ft

Terminals

To the city

• VLT light rail → city centre · Santos Dumont is served by VLT Carioca lines connecting with downtown stops such as Cinelandia/Carioca and Central do Brasil; reported operating hours are daily 06:00-00:00.

Train / metro

VLT Carioca light rail stop at Santos Dumont connects with downtown Rio, metro connections, Central do Brasil rail station and Novo Rio bus station.

Airport services

Cities served

Hotels near the airport