RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The main runway of Santos Dumont Airport in downtown Rio de Janeiro has been closed due to construction works since August 24th, and it will be reopened as of this Saturday, September 21st.
Airlines will be able to use the airport for the flights that had been transferred to the Tom Jobim International Airport (Galeão). The information was released yesterday, September 16th by the president of INFRAERO, Brigadier Paes de Barros, who was on-site inspecting the completion of the work.
“The schedule established at the beginning of the year was maintained, and we will finish the work within the deadline. The initial idea was that this work would cost R$ 10 million, but it will stay at R$ 9 million. It was an uninterrupted work in progress, 24 hours a day, to deliver these facilities completely prepared so that traffic will return with great efficiency,” said Paes de Barros.
During the construction work, only the auxiliary runway was operating and could receive smaller planes operated by Azul and Passaredo airlines. The average daily flow of 25,000 passengers at Santos Dumont was reduced to 4,000 during the construction period. The other airlines used buses between the two airports to make life easier for those who had already bought tickets.
The Infraero president advises that passengers who have flights scheduled for this weekend should call the companies to make sure which airport will be used for their departing flight.
The main runway has received a new porous asphalt layer, which allows rainwater to flow more efficiently and ensures greater safety for operations in adverse weather conditions. The expectation is that the runway will not require a new layer of asphalt for the next ten years.
Source: Agência Brasil