Ever felt the thrill of a Concorde landing? Right here at Rio de Janeiro’s Galeão International Airport that very thing happened.
Galeão International Airport isn’t just an airport. It’s a significant part of Rio’s history. Its original name came from the Galleon Beach nearby. A galleon called Padre Eterno was even built there in 1663. The airport’s current name honors the famous Brazilian musician Antonio Carlos Jobim. His music Samba do Avião explicitly mentions Galeão Airport.
The airport’s story began long before its official opening in 1952. In 1923 a School of Naval Aviation was established near Galleon Beach. This evolved into Galeão Air Force Base in 1941. During World War II the Allies used this base intensely. After the war Santos Dumont Airport couldn’t handle the increase in international flights. So gradually international flights moved to Galeão.
Initially services were precarious. A new passenger terminal was built. It opened on February 1 1952. It remained in use with many enlargements until 1977. This old terminal is now used by the Brazilian Air Force. The cargo terminal is also in this area. The entire complex is known informally as the “old Galeão”.
In the 1970s Galeão was Brazil’s major international and domestic air hub. From 1973 to 1987 ARSA managed the airport. Infraero took over in 1987. Galeão’s prestige is proven by the Concorde’s maiden flight with Air France in 1976. This twice-weekly flight from Paris to Galeão via Dakar ended in 1982. The James Bond movie Moonraker even featured the Concorde landing at Galeão.
In 1977 a new passenger terminal opened. It’s now known as Passenger Terminal 1. The sultry PA system announcements of Iris Lettieri were famous even on National Public Radio.
By 1985 São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport became the country’s main international airport. Galeão lost many international flights. However since 2004 Galeão gradually recovered its importance. Terminal 2 opened in 1999. Both terminals could handle 7.5 million passengers annually.
In 2009 Infraero announced an investment plan of R$819 million to upgrade Galeão for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2014 a new concessionaire RIOgaleão took over. They made further improvements including a new pier and more parking spaces. After the 2016 Olympics Galeão handled a record 85000 passengers in one day.
In 2022 the concessionaire requested to return the facility. A new bidding process is expected. In April 2022 the airport even hosted the Stock Car Pro Series automobile racing. A temporary circuit was built. However it wasn’t included in the 2023 calendar. Galeão remains a critical part of Rio’s landscape and its story continues to unfold.