Salgado Filho International Airport
Encyclopedia
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
, Brazil. It is named after the Senator and first Minister of the Brazilian Air Force
Brazilian Air Force
The Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
Joaquim Pedro Salgado Filho (1888–1950), killed on June 20, 1950 in an accident with an aircraft which departed from Porto Alegre.
In 2010 the airport was ranked 8th in terms of transported passengers and aircraft operations and 10th in terms of cargo handled in Brazil, placing it amongst the busiest airports in the country. It is operated by Infraero
Infraero
Empresa Brasileira de Infraestrutura Aeroportuária, Infraero in short, is a Brazilian government corporation created in 1972 and responsible for operating the main Brazilian commercial airports. In 2009, Infraero's airports carried 128,135,616 passengers and 1,114,754 tons of cargo and operated...
.
History
Salgado Filho was originally called São João Airport, after the neighborhood where it is located. In the beginning it was an air club, where the first flights landed on May 31, 1923.In 1932, needing a facility to use its aircraft with landing-gear which were replacing its seaplanes, Varig
Varig
VARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
started using São João Airport as its operational base. However, it was only in 1940 that the first passenger terminal was inaugurated.
On October 12, 1951, São João Airport was renamed Salgado Filho Airport, after the Senator and Minister who died the year before on a crash involving a SAVAG aircraft that departed from Porto Alegre.
In 1953 the old terminal was incorporated into the maintenance facilities of Varig and a new passenger terminal was opened. This new terminal is presently known as Passenger Terminal 2. It underwent major renovations and enlargements between 1969 and 1971 but unable to cope with the increasing traffic, another brand new facility was built. It was named Passenger Terminal 1 and inaugurated on September 11, 2001. Terminal 2 became underused by general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
and cargo services.
However, in order to cope with the increasing passenger traffic at the airport, on September 8, 2010 a decision was made to renovate Terminal 2 and bring it back into passenger use. It became operational on December 4, 2010.
The total area of the Salgado Filho Airport is about 3,805,810.04 m² with 142,750 m² of ramp area. Terminal 1 has 37,600 m² and 16 gates with jetways. Terminal 2 has 15,540 m². In front of terminal 1 there is a carpark with 1,440 places. Terminal 1 is the first facility in Latin America with a shopping mall.
One of the two TAP Maintenance & Engineering
TAP Maintenance & Engineering
TAP Maintenance & Engineering – the maintenance, repair and operations center of TAP Portugal airline – is located at Portela Airport, Lisbon, Portugal.- History :...
centers in Brazil is located at Salgado Filho International Airport.
Passenger
a. Airline operating regular charter flights.
b. Airline operating charter flights.
Scheduled cargo
Major accidents involving fatalities
- February 28, 1942: a VarigVarigVARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
Junkers Ju-52/3mJunkers Ju 52The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
registration PP-VAL crashed shortly after take-off from Porto Alegre. Six of the 21 occupants died, including 2 crew members. - January 11, 1949: a SAVAGSAVAG – Sociedade Anônima Viação Aérea GaúchaSAVAG – Sociedade Anônima Viação Aérea Gaúcha was a Brazilian airline founded in 1946 that operated mainly in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It was absorbed by Cruzeiro do Sul in 1966.-History:...
Lockheed Model 18-10-01 Lodestar registration PP-SAC flying from PelotasPelotas International AirportPelotas International Airport is the airport serving Pelotas, Brazil.It is operated by Infraero.-History:On June 22, 1927 the city of Pelotas received the first official commercial passenger flight operated by the first Brazilian airline, Varig, founded only a month earlier...
to Porto Alegre crashed just after take-off from Pelotas killing all 8 occupants. Causes are likely to have been fuel contamination. - August 2, 1949: a VarigVarigVARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
Curtiss C-46AD-10-CU Commando registration PP-VBI operating a flight from São Paulo-Congonhas Airport to Porto Alegre made an emergency landing on rough terrain near the location of Jaquirana, approximatelly 20 minutes before landing in Porto Alegre, following fire on the cargo hold. Of the 36 passenger and crew aboard, 5 died. - June 30, 1950: a SAVAGSAVAG – Sociedade Anônima Viação Aérea GaúchaSAVAG – Sociedade Anônima Viação Aérea Gaúcha was a Brazilian airline founded in 1946 that operated mainly in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It was absorbed by Cruzeiro do Sul in 1966.-History:...
Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar registration PP-SAA, flying between Porto Alegre and São BorjaSão BorjaSão Borja is a city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. São Borja is the oldest municipality in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul and was founded in 1682 by the Jesuits as the first of the Seven Points of the Missions, and named São Francisco de Borja, in honor of Saint Francis...
, while flying in bad weather collided against a hill, caught fire and crashed near the location of São Francisco de Assis. All 12 occupants died, including the founder of SAVAG and pilot, Gustavo Kraemer, and Joaquim Pedro Salgado Filho, senator and first Minister of Air Force in Brazil. - July 28, 1950: a Panair do BrasilPanair do BrasilPanair do Brasil is a defunct airline of Brazil. Between 1945 and 1965 it was considered to be the largest carrier not only in Brazil but in all of Latin America.-NYRBA do Brasil :...
Lockheed L-049 ConstellationLockheed ConstellationThe Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
registration PP-PCG flying from Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont to Porto Alegre struck power lines and crashed on a hill after running out of fuel while holding in bad weather near São LeopoldoSão LeopoldoSão Leopoldo is an important Brazilian industrial city located in the south state of Rio Grande do Sul. It occupies a total area of 103.9 km² at circa 30 km from the State Capital, Porto Alegre. Climate is sub-tropical, with temperatures varying from 2°C minimum at Winter to more than...
. All 50 passengers and crew died. - October 14, 1952: an Aerovias BrasilAerovias BrasilEmpresa de Transportes Aéreos Aerovias Brasil S/A was a Brazilian airline founded in 1942. It was merged into Varig in 1961, when Varig bought the Consórcio Real-Aerovias-Nacional, of which Aerovias Brasil was one of the partners.-History:...
Douglas C-47-DL registration PP-AXJ operated by Real Transportes AéreosReal Transportes AéreosReal Transportes Aéreos was a Brazilian airline founded in 1945. It was merged into Varig in 1961, when Varig bought the Consórcio Real-Aerovias-Nacional, of which Real was the main carrier....
en route from Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont to Porto Alegre struck high ground while flying under adverse conditions over the location of São Francisco de PaulaSão Francisco de PaulaSão Francisco de Paula is a city located in the Serra Gaúcha of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The municipality covers about 3,289.7 km² and sits about 112 km from Porto Alegre. City population estimate for 2004 is 19,968...
. Of the 18 passengers and crew aboard, 14 died. - June 4, 1954: a VarigVarigVARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando registration PP-VBZ operating a cargo flight between São Paulo-Congonhas Airport and Porto Alegre crashed during take-off from São Paulo. All crew of 3 died. - April 7, 1957: a VarigVarigVARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando registration PP-VCF operating a flight from BagéComandante Gustavo Kraemer AirportComandante Gustavo Kraemer International Airport is the airport serving Bagé, Brazil. It is named after Captain Gustavo Kraemer, founder and pilot of the airline SAVAG, killed on an air-crash in 1950.It is operated by Infraero.-History:...
to Porto Alegre crashed during take-off in Bagé following a fire developed in the left main gear wheel well and consequent technical difficulties. All 40 passenger and crew died. - September 18, 1957: a Real Transportes AéreosReal Transportes AéreosReal Transportes Aéreos was a Brazilian airline founded in 1945. It was merged into Varig in 1961, when Varig bought the Consórcio Real-Aerovias-Nacional, of which Real was the main carrier....
Convair 440-62 registration PP-AQE belonging to Transportes Aéreos NacionalTransportes Aéreos NacionalTransportes Aéreos Nacional was a Brazilian airline founded in 1946. It was merged into Varig in 1961, when Varig bought the Consórcio Real-Aerovias-Nacional, of which Transportes Aéreos Nacional was one of the partners.-History:...
, flying from Porto Alegre to MontevideoCarrasco International AirportCarrasco/General Cesáreo L. Berisso International Airport , commonly known simply by Aeropuerto Internacional de Carrasco in reference to the neighborhood where it is located, is the main airport serving Montevideo, Uruguay, located in the adjoining municipality of Ciudad de la Costa...
had an accident during touch down operations in Montevideo. While on a night landing procedure under fog, the aircraft undershoot the runway by 1,030m, causing the left and middle gear to hit an earth bank bordering a highway. The right wing touched the ground and further on the aircraft lost both propellers. The right wing then broke off. One crew member died. - October 18, 1957: a VarigVarigVARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
Douglas C-47A-80-DL registration PP-VCS operating a cargo flight from Porto Alegre crashed upon take-off. The crew of two died. - July 1, 1963: a VarigVarigVARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
Douglas C-47B-20-DK registration PP-VBV flying from Porto Alegre to Passo FundoLauro Kurtz AirportLauro Kurtz Airport is the airport serving Passo Fundo, Brazil.It is operated by DAP.-Airlines and destinations:-Accidents and incidents:...
collided with trees on high ground and crashed shortly before arriving in Passo Fundo. Of the 18 passengers and crew aboard, 15 died. - July 17, 2007: a TAM Airlines Airbus A320Airbus A320 familyThe Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
registration PR-MBK operating flight 3054TAM Airlines Flight 3054TAM Airlines Flight 3054 was an Airbus A320 airliner, registration PR-MBK, operating as a scheduled domestic passenger flight between Porto Alegre and São Paulo, Brazil, which crashed upon landing during rain in São Paulo on July 17, 2007...
from Porto Alegre to São Paulo-Congonhas overran the runway while landing at Congonhas, crossed a major thoroughfare and impacted against a TAM Express warehouse. All 186 passengers and crew perished. 199 bodies were recovered from the crash site, including passengers, crew and people that were working at the warehourse.
Incident
- May 30, 1972: a VarigVarigVARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
Lockheed L-188 ElectraLockheed L-188 ElectraThe Lockheed Model 188 Electra is an American turboprop airliner built by Lockheed. First flying in 1957, it was the first large turboprop airliner produced in the United States. Initial sales were good, but after two fatal crashes which prompted an expensive modification program to fix a design...
registration PP-VJL operating a flight between São Paulo-Congonhas to Porto Alegre was hijacked. The hijacker demanded money. The aircraft was stormed and the hijacker shot.
Access
The airport is located 6 km (4 mi) northeast of downtown Porto Alegre.Taxi and bus services are available to and from Terminal 1. In front of Terminal 2 there is a station of the Porto Alegre subway
Porto Alegre Metro
The Metro de Porto Alegre is operated jointly by the federal government, the state government of Rio Grande do Sul and the city of Porto Alegre through the company Trensurb and has 20 stations, totaling 33.4 km of extension and carries about 170,000 users a day.-...
, which connects the airport to Porto Alegre downtown and to other cities in the greater Porto Alegre metropolitan area.
Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are connected by a frequent shuttle service.
Future developments
On August 31, 2009, Infraero unveiled a BRL122 million (USD64.3 million; EUR45 million) investiment plan to up-grade Salgado Filho International Airport focusing on the preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014....
which will be held in Brazil, Porto Alegre being one of the venue cities. The investiment will be used in the extension of the runway with completion due in July 2012.