Background

Background
The history of Rio de Janeiro International Airport, in the Island of Governador, as former naval aviation base, starts in 1924 with the establishment of the aviation school. Founded in 1916, the Navy Aviation School had its first facilities at Island of Enxadas, in 1924, moved later to a more ample location at the neighboring Ponta do Galeao.

Hangars, shops, barracks, officers and soldiers lodgments, in addition to the first National Airplanes Factory, which produced the first Brazilian serial model, Muniz 5, 7, and 9.

Still at Galeao, other air industries produced, under contract with foreign entities such as the Dutch Foker and the German Wulf, aircrafts for civil and military aviation. The first Naval Air Postal services left Galeao in 1935.

Galeao began to be designated officially, since 1945, as the International Airport as the old Pan American and Condor hydroplanes, in addition to other airlines, were gradually replaced in the international routes by larger aircrafts with wheels that required ground runways for landing and takeoff. The old Sirorskys or Junkers J-52 “hydro”, among others, gave place to Douglas DC-3 and DC –4, in addition to Lockheed’s Constellations.

There was a “hydros station”, next to Santos Dumont Airport, inaugurated in 1936, projected by the famous Brazilian architect Atilio C. Lima. It was one of the first conceptually modern designed building in Brazil.

Galeao, since the World War II, went beyond the large traffic Brazilian Air Force (FAB) base to the airfield for international airplanes. At the time, the access to the airport was by boat from the hydro station until Galeao’s disembarkation bridge, and passengers took a bust that would lead them to the airplanes since there was not a passengers’ station.

Reception remained precarious until 1950, when the boarding and disembarkation location moved to the other side of the base, where currently work cargo firms’ offices. Terminal Number 1 replaced this terminal, with many expansions throughout the years, which aggregated the state of art at the time of its inauguration in January 20, 1977.

As a reflect of the impetuous growth of Brazil’s commercial aviation in 1992, targeted to the large public foreseen for the ECO 92, all facilities in Terminal 1 were rehabilitated. This expansion, which increased this terminal capacity to seven million passengers per year, coincided with the beginning of works for Terminal 2. This new terminal, one the most modern in Latin America, with capacity for eight million passengers per year, was inaugurated in July 20, 1999, more than doubled the capacity of Rio de Janeiro International Airport.

Galeao, currently, is under rehabilitation works of Terminal 1 and completion of Terminal 2. Investments are made to adequate the airport to projected demand of passengers. Thus, it will have the capacity to serve the public for the sports events: the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. The airport, with completion of works, will have the capacity to process 26 million passengers per year, which will mean improvement in its operations and a higher comfort rate for its users.

CHRONOLOGY:

1946 – Choosing the location for establishment of Airport Passenger Terminal for international traffic. PANAIR operation at the tip of Galeao;
1952 – Galeao Airport is inaugurated in 02/01/1952 (Currently, TPS 5);
1967 – Establishment of TASA (Aeronautics Telecommunications S.A.) – operate and maintain PANAIR systems;
1967 – Ordinance No. 033/GM3 of 06/06/1967 established the International Airport Project Coordinating Commission – CCPAI;
1967/1968 – Hidroservice – Technical-economic feasibility studies of Brazil’s Main International Airport – AIP:
Rio de Janeiro;
Sao Paulo;
1969 – Rio de Janeiro International Airport Project;
1970 – Establishment of ARSA – Law No. 5,580 of 05/25/1970;
1972 – Establishment of INFRAERO – Holding – Law No. 5,862 of 12/12/1972;
1973 – Establishment of ARSA (Airports of Rio de Janeiro S.A.) – Decree-Law No. 7L820 of 02/07/1973;
1977 – Inauguration of Passenger Terminal No. 1 (TPS 1) in 01/20/1977;
1977 – TPS 1 starts operations in 02/01/1977;
1st domestic flight: 02/01/1977 (Vasp);
1st international flight: 04/20/1977 (British Caledonian);
1979 – Runway 09/27 starts operations (currently,10/28);
1987 – INFRAERO incorporates ARSA;
1989 – Construction of Aircrafts Ground Area no. 2;
1990 – Passenger Terminal no. 2 Project starts;
1991/1992 – Expansion of TPS 1 and Infrastructure for ECO 92;
1992 – Passenger Terminal no. 2 and the new Air Cargo Terminal Complex works begin;
1995 – INFRAERO incorporates TASA;
1998 – Inauguration of the new Air Cargo Terminal complex in March;
1998 – Passenger Terminal no. 2 Operational Test in 03/28/1998;
1999 – Passenger Terminal no. 2 inauguration in 07/20/1999;
2008 – TPS 1 revitalization works begins in March.
2008 – Completion of recovery works for runway 10/28, in June.
2008 – TPS 2 completion of works begins in November.
2010 – Opening of TPS 1 sectors A, B, and C, rehabilitated and modernized in January, June, and July, respectively.

Galeão