Santos Dumont Airport - SDU
Santos Dumont Airport is a major airport that serves Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a public and military airport that is operated by Infraero. Located in Rio De Janeiro, the airport also serves the cities of Niteroi, Sao Goncalo, Duque de Caxias, and more. Working under the airport code SDU, it is the focus city for Azul Brazilian Airlines. Named after Alberto Santos Dumont, it is the second major airport serving Rio. There are slot restrictions to the airport and can only handle a maximum of 19 operations per hour. It is one of five airports in the country that come with these restrictions. In 2018, it handled 9.2 million passengers and 100,144 operations. It is also an important cargo hub and in 2018 handled 6,679 metric tonnes of cargo. There are two runways, both with asphalt surfaces.
Best Time to Visit
SDU-Santos Dumont Airport was originally known as Calabouco Airport and its history can be traced back to back to the 1930s. In order to handle more traffic, land was reclaimed from the sea to create runway 1. In 1936, construction on a passenger terminal was started. As a result of a fire that nearly destroyed the main terminal in 1999, it was closed and renovated for six months. A brand new and modern extension to the original terminal was added. Airlines that serve the airport include Azul Brazilian Airlines, Gol Airlines, LATAM Brazil, and Passaredo Linhas Aereas. Top destinations include Joa and Marica, and more.
What to Do & Area Attractions
There are more than 130 hotels located in the area that is served by the Santos Dumont Airport (SDU). The nearest airport hotel is the 4-star Prodigy Hotel Santos Dumont Airport Rio de Janeiro. It is located less than 500 meters from the airport. Two airports located 600 meters away include the Ibis Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont and the Novotel RJ Santos Dumont Hotel.
An alternate airport to Santos Dumont Airport is the Rio de Janeiro-Galeao International.
