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SBRJ - Santos-Dumont

General Information

Information
Aerodrome name Rio de Janeiro - Santos-Dumont
Type of Operation Domestic, Public and Military
Transition altitude 7000 ft4
Elevation 10 ft (3 m)
Largest aircraft Code 4C (A320, B737)1
Airspace Rio CTR, class D, GND/2000 ft4
Accepts A380?

Useful Information

Select one of the tools in the tabs above (Charts, Weather or Traffic) to access the aerodrome information.

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Traffic

Runways

Main and auxiliary runway

SBRJ has two very close parallel runways (~76 m between centerlines) on the edge of Guanabara Bay: 02R/20L, the main runway, to the east by the water, and 02L/20R, the auxiliary runway, to the west by the aprons. Every TWY linking the aprons with the main runway crosses the auxiliary runway.

  • Main: 02R / 20L

    1323 × 42 m, code 4C. RNP (several AR) and VOR approaches; no ILS. Jets and scheduled flights.

  • Auxiliary: 02L / 20R

    1260 × 30 m, code 3C. General aviation and turboprops. Visual.

02L/20R is in the way

Taxiing between the aprons and 02R/20L always crosses 02L/20R: via A (threshold 20), B/H (middle), C/G, D/F and E (threshold 02). Every crossing needs Tower's clearance.

The AIP sets no preferential runway: the configuration (02 or 20) follows the wind and applies to both runways.

Runway data

Runway Dimensions TORA LDA Approach Remarks
02R 1323 × 42 m 1323 m 1323 m RNP Sugarloaf (1326 ft) 2 NM out on the extended centerline6
20L 1323 × 42 m 1323 m 1323 m RNP and VOR
02L 1260 × 30 m 1260 m 1260 m Visual
20R 1260 × 30 m 1260 m 1260 m Visual

ATC Units

Code Abbr. Callsign Frequency Remarks
SBRJ_ATIS ARJ Rio Information 132.650 D-ATIS
SBRJ_DEL DRJ Rio Clearance 121.050 DCL (code SBRJ)
SBRJ_GND GRJ Rio Ground 121.700
SBRJ_TWR TRJ Rio Tower 118.700
  • Tower does not give the takeoff time; the next unit's frequency comes with the takeoff clearance6.

DCL

SBRJ has DCL (departure clearance via datalink)2. On the network, the station code is SBRJ.
Station code SBRJ
Who operates it SBRJ_DEL. Without DEL, the position covering clearance top-down (GND, TWR, APP or ACC)
Controller tool TopSky DCL window, with your personal Hoppie ACARS code
Pilot tool Aircraft ACARS or a Hoppie-compatible client, sending the clearance request to SBRJ

How it works:

  1. The pilot sends the request (RCD) to SBRJ, with the parking stand and ATIS letter.
  2. The controller checks the flight plan and replies with the clearance: limit, runway, SID, transponder code, ATIS letter and next frequency.
  3. The pilot accepts (WILCO/ACCEPT). The clearance is then issued and there is no voice readback.
  4. With the clearance accepted, the pilot calls Ground for start-up or pushback.

Controller setup

  • Log in to the TopSky DCL with the code SBRJ before opening the position.
  • Announce it in the controller information: DCL AVBL LOGON SBRJ.
  • A faulty request (invalid plan, wrong SID, no ATIS) goes back as REVERT TO VOICE: the pilot calls Clearance on frequency.
  • If the pilot does not accept within a reasonable time, consider the clearance not delivered and call them by voice.

Areas of responsibility

Map of SBRJ with both runways and the space between them in yellow, under Tower, and the aprons in blue, under Ground
Yellow strip: Tower (both runways and the space between them). Rest: Ground. The red marks are the auxiliary runway holding points.
Position Responsible for
GND Aprons 1A, 1B, 2 and the military aprons, and the TWY up to the 02L/20R holding point
TWR Both runways, the TWY between them and the 02L/20R crossings
  • SBRJ has no Apron position (APRON): Ground handles all aprons.
  • Because the runways are so close, all holding points are west of the auxiliary runway. To reach the main runway, Ground hands the aircraft off to Tower there, and Tower clears the crossing.
  • Arrivals: the aircraft vacates the main runway, crosses the auxiliary runway with Tower, and only then is handed off to Ground.

Ground flow

General rule

  • J runs in front of the aprons, from the terminal (1A) to the military apron; L and M form a loop by the terminal and K links J with threshold 02.
  • A leads to thresholds 20; D and E, to thresholds 02.
  • B/H (middle), C/G and F cross both runways.
  • Category C operates only via A; if A is unavailable, everyone may use A23.

Ground flow on runways 20: 20L departures via J and A, crossing 20R; 20L landings vacate via G and cross the auxiliary runway via C; general aviation on 20R via A
Green: departures on the main runway. Dashed orange: auxiliary runway. Blue: landings.

  • Departures (20L): J northbound and A, crossing 20R, to threshold 20L.
  • Landings (20L): vacate via G (~1000 m) or F/E at the end, cross the auxiliary runway via C/D and return along K and J.
  • Auxiliary runway (20R): general aviation via J and A.

Example: AZU4321, taxi to holding point runway 20L via J and A.

Ground flow on runways 02: 02R departures via J, K, D and E, crossing 02L; 02R landings vacate via H and cross the auxiliary runway via B; general aviation on 02L via D
Green: departures on the main runway. Dashed orange: auxiliary runway. Blue: landings.

  • Departures (02R): J, K, D and E, crossing 02L, to threshold 02R.
  • Landings (02R): vacate via H (~920 m) or A at the end, cross the auxiliary runway via B and follow J.
  • Auxiliary runway (02L): general aviation via K and D.

Example: GLO1234, taxi to holding point runway 02R via J, K, D and E.

Runway exits

Runway Exits
20L H (~400 m), G (~1000 m) or F/E (end)
02R G (~330 m), H (~920 m) or A (end)
20R B (~370 m), C (~940 m) or D/E (end)
02L C (~280 m), B (~870 m) or A (end)

Approximate distance from the threshold to the exit, measured on the diagram. On the main runway, every exit leads onto the auxiliary runway, which must be crossed.

Taxi restrictions

Restriction Where
Category C Only via A; with A unavailable, everyone uses A23
GEIV apron Military fixed-wing only, wingspan up to 20 m and length up to 21 m1
DECEA 1 and 2 aprons Military aircraft only1

Takeoff points

Overview of SBRJ with aprons and the takeoff points marked with the available TORA
Takeoff points (purple) with the available TORA. Circled labels: aprons.
Runway Point TORA Used by
02R E (threshold) 1323 m Jets and scheduled flights
20L A (threshold) 1323 m Jets and scheduled flights
02L D (threshold) 1260 m General aviation and turboprops
20R A (threshold) 1260 m General aviation and turboprops
  • The SBRJ AIP publishes no intersection departures: with 1323 m of runway, every departure is from the threshold.
  • RBAC 121 flights may be cleared for simultaneous departures from runway 02 at SBRJ and runway 15 at SBGL5.

Aprons and airlines

Reference for simulation. Stands follow the PDC charts; airlines follow the airport's airline list on Wikipedia. The split between stands is a simplification, not the airport's official allocation. VAs use the stands of the real airline they represent.

Apron1APassenger terminalDomesticStands 1 to 8 and remote R9 and R10
Azul
AZU
GOL
GLO
LATAM
TAM
Apron1BRemoteNorth of the terminal, via JStands R11 to R19

Airline overflow. R20 and R21, by the hangar, for maintenance.

Apron2General aviation (canteiros)Between J and the auxiliary runwayCanteiros 1 to 9

General aviation and air taxi, up to 5700 kg.

ApronMILMilitaryIII COMAR, DECEA 1 and 2, GEIV
FAB

Logos from GRU Airport. Trademarks belong to their respective airlines.

Other procedures

  • Observe the VAC for joining and leaving the traffic pattern5.
  • VMC climbs to the south leave via Barra (the Guanabara Bay entrance)5.
  • With IFR approaches to 02R in progress, VFR departures to REA FOXTROT fly to Icaraí, then Piratininga Lagoon, and enter the REA via Portão Itaipu5.
  • Changing from IFR to VFR after starting the STAR or approach is subject to Rio APP's clearance5.
  • On approach to runways 02, watch out for Sugarloaf (1326 ft), 2 NM from threshold 02R on the extended centerline6.

Diagrams drawn by VATSIM Brasil over OpenStreetMap geometry (ODbL), checked against the SBRJ ADC and PDC charts. Not for real-world navigation. Normative source: AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBRJ, AMDT 2610A1.

  1. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBRJ 2.20, item 1. Declared distances: AD 2.13. ↩↩↩

  2. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBRJ 2.18. ↩

  3. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBRJ 2.8 and ADC chart. ↩↩

  4. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBRJ 2.17 and IAC charts. ↩↩

  5. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBRJ 2.22. ↩↩↩↩↩

  6. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBRJ 2.23. ↩↩↩