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SBSV - Salvador

General Information

Information
Aerodrome name Salvador - Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães
Type of Operation International, Public and Military
Transition altitude 10000 ft7
Elevation 66 ft (20 m)
Largest aircraft Wide-bodies (code 4E) on 10/28; code 4C on 17/35
Airspace Salvador CTR, class C, GND/3500 ft7
Accepts A380?

Useful Information

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Traffic

Runways

Runway system

SBSV has two runways that do not cross: the main runway 10/28 (3003 m), with parallel TWY A to the south, and 17/35 (1518 m), to the west, with parallel TWY M to the east. The AIP defines no preferential runway: 10/28 is used according to the wind.

  • Main: 10/28

    3003 × 45 m. ILS at both ends, both thresholds displaced by 120 m. Takes up to code 4E.

  • Secondary: 17/35

    1518 × 45 m, no precision approach. During HIRO it is the preferential departure runway for category A and B aircraft6.

Runway 17/35

  • Runway 35 is not available for landings by jets or higher-performance aircraft1.

Runway data

Runway Dimensions TORA LDA Approach Remarks
10 3003 × 45 m 2883 m 2763 m ILS Displaced threshold (120 m); 300 m clearway
28 3003 × 45 m 2883 m 2763 m ILS CAT I Displaced threshold (120 m)
17 1518 × 45 m 1518 m 1518 m RNP Code 4C
35 1518 × 45 m 1518 m 1518 m Visual No jet landings

ATC Units

Code Abbr. Callsign Frequency Remarks
SBSV_ATIS ASV Salvador Information 127.750 D-ATIS
SBSV_DEL DSV Salvador Clearance 121.100 DCL (code SBSV)
SBSV_GND GSV Salvador Ground 121.900
SBSV_TWR TSV Salvador Tower 118.300

DCL

SBSV has DCL (departure clearance via datalink)2. On the network, the station code is SBSV.
Station code SBSV
Who operates it SBSV_DEL. Without DEL, whichever position covers 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 SBSV

How it works:

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

Controller setup

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

Areas of responsibility

Map of SBSV with the runway strips in yellow, under Tower, and the rest in blue, under Ground
Yellow strips: Tower. Rest: Ground. The dashed line runs through the holding points. White circles: apron numbers.
Position Responsible for
GND Aprons 1 to 6, TWY A, K, M and the links up to the holding point
TWR Both runways and the taxiways inside the holding points
  • SBSV has no Apron position: Ground handles all aprons.
  • Departures: Ground hands off to Tower before the holding point. Pilots reach the holding point ready for departure; if not, they advise Ground5.
  • Arrivals: once the aircraft vacates the runway, Tower hands off to Ground.

Ground flow

General rule

  • TWY A runs along the south side of 10/28, from C (threshold 10) to G (threshold 28). K runs parallel to A between apron 1 and D, next to apron 3.
  • J1 to J4 are the apron 1 taxiways. J1 links the apron to A and to C.
  • H and H1 link 10/28 to military aprons 2 and 6, to the north.
  • M runs along the east side of 17/35. N, R, Q, P and L link 17/35 to aprons 4 and 5 and to M.

Ground flow on runway 10: departures via J1, A and C; turboprops from intersection D; landings vacating via F and following A to apron 1
Green: departures. Dashed orange: intersection departure. Blue: landings.

  • Departures (10): J1, A and C. C is the standard entry; via B only after coordination with Ground, and the aircraft may lose its slot6.
  • Turboprops: depart from intersection D or H, unless instructed otherwise5.
  • Landings (10): vacate via F and follow A to apron 1. Turboprops and piston aircraft may vacate via D4.

Example: GLO1234, taxi to holding point runway 10 via J1, A, C.

Ground flow on runway 28: departures via A to G; landings vacating via D and following K to apron 1
Green: departures. Blue: landings.

  • Departures (28): A eastbound to G.
  • Landings (28): vacate via D4 and follow K to apron 1. D is limited to a 36 m wingspan: larger aircraft vacate at the end of the runway, via C.

Example: AZU4321, taxi to holding point runway 28 via A, G.

Runway exits

Pilots must vacate the runway with the minimum runway occupancy time (MROT), choosing a feasible exit before stopping4.

Runway Exits
10 D (~1040 m, turboprops and piston), E (~1390 m) or F (~1960 m)
28 F (~690 m, turboprops), E (~1240 m) or D (~1730 m, up to 36 m wingspan)

Approximate distance from the threshold to the exit. D and F on 10 and D on 28: AIP; the others measured on the diagram.

Taxi restrictions

Restriction Where
Maximum wingspan 36 m TWY D and L3
Maximum speed 8 kt TWY J23

Hotspot

HP, on C and J1, next to threshold 10: the marked holding point is not at 90° to the runway, and pilots may think there is another holding point ahead. Runway incursion risk: make sure the aircraft stops at the holding point.

Takeoff points

Overview of SBSV with numbered aprons and takeoff points marked with the available TORA
Takeoff points (purple) with the available TORA. Circled numbers: aprons.
Runway Point TORA Who uses it
10 C 2776 m Jets (standard entry)5
10 B (beginning of the runway) 2883 m With Ground coordination during HIRO6
10 D or H 1848 m Turboprops5
28 G 2883 m Everyone
17 or 35 Threshold 1518 m Category A and B during HIRO6
  • Pilots reach the holding point ready for departure; if not, they advise Ground5.
  • Immediate line-up when cleared, and the takeoff roll starts within 10 seconds of the takeoff clearance5.
  • After takeoff, call APP immediately with SALVADOR CONTROL, [CALLSIGN] only, with no additional information5.
  • Turboprops and piston aircraft expect radar vectors or a clearance direct to a waypoint right after takeoff5.
  • Pilots unable to depart from the intersection advise Ground6.

HIRO

HIRO (high-intensity runway operations) reduces runway occupancy time to shorten the spacing on final, between departures and between landings and departures6.
Hours 1300–1500, 1600–1830 and 2000–2100 UTC. ATC may change them according to demand; the hours are broadcast on the ATIS
Approach speed 170 to 150 kt IAS at 5 NM from the threshold. Speeds assigned by ATC are mandatory
Landing on 10 Vacate via D, E or F (868, 1169 and 1651 m from threshold 10). If unable, advise APP or Tower on first contact
Takeoff from 10 Standard entry via C (2594 m to threshold 28, measured with the aircraft lined up). Via B (2767 m) only with coordination. Intersection D: 1645 m
Categories A and B Depart from 17/35. From 10/28 only military aircraft leaving aprons 2 and 6, priority aircraft, in IMC or when the Tower needs it

Aprons and airlines

Reference for simulation. The stands follow the PDC charts; the 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.

Apron1Passenger terminalDomestic and internationalStands 01 to 19
Azul
AZU
GOL
GLO
LATAM
TAM
Abaeté
Aerolíneas Argentinas
ARG
SKY Airline
SKU
Copa
CMP
TAP
TAP
Air Europa
AEA
Air France
AFR
Apron3Cargo terminalFreighters, via KStands 20 to 26
LATAM Cargo
LCO
Apron2·6MilitaryNorth of 10/28 · 2 via H, 6 via H1Stands 01 to 13 (2) and 01 to 03 (6)
FAB
Apron4·5General aviation and hangarsNext to 17/35 · 4 via R, 5 via P

General aviation and helicopters.

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

Other procedures

  • Follow the VAC to join and leave the traffic pattern, and the AIC on the Salvador TMA visual corridors8.

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

  1. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBSV 2.20, item 6. Declared distances: AD 2.13. ↩

  2. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBSV 2.18. ↩

  3. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBSV 2.8 and ADC chart. Hotspot: ADC chart. ↩↩

  4. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBSV 2.20, item 10. ↩↩↩

  5. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBSV 2.20, item 11. ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  6. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBSV 2.20, item 12. ↩↩↩↩↩↩

  7. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBSV 2.17 and IAC charts. ↩↩

  8. AIP Brasil, AD 2 SBSV 2.22. ↩