GIG - Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷

[23jafferm]

Airport Name and ICAO/IATA Code
Rio de Janeiro/Galeão – Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport (ICAO: SBGL / IATA: GIG)

Location (City, Country)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Airport Type & Size
GIG is a large international airport and one of Brazil’s most important aviation hubs. It has two long runways:

• Runway 10/28: 4,000 meters
• Runway 15/33: 3,180 meters

The airport supports a high mix of long-haul and regional flights and served as a major entry point for the 2016 Olympics. It offers full wide-body capabilities and multiple terminals.

Why should this airport be added to World of Airports?
Rio de Janeiro is a major gateway to South America. Including GIG would bring geographic balance to the game by adding a playable airport on the South American continent. Its size, infrastructure, and strategic location make it ideal for connecting with existing playable hubs worldwide. It would introduce a wide variety of routes and new contracts for players.

Major Airlines & Routes
Airlines operating at GIG include:
GOL, LATAM, Avianca, American Airlines, United, Emirates, Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, British Airways, Aerolíneas Argentinas

Initial destinations (real-world):
JFK, MIA, DXB, FCO, DFW, BSB, AMS, LIS, GRU, CDG, PTY, ATL, LHR, EZE, LIM, BOG, IAH, MAD, SCL, FRA

Unique Features or Challenges

• Strategic location for intercontinental traffic
• Long runways ideal for heavy aircraft
• Unique opportunity to expand into South America
• Historical and high-tourism location with Olympic legacy
• High traffic variability from domestic to international

Optional: Links, images, maps, or videos

Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport - Wikipedia

[Hirohitoswaifu]

On a bit of a bender of looking at South American airports atm for the abandoned aircraft and went back to GIG to see if theirs are still there. Some have been scrapped but 6 727s and the DC10 live on,

The DC10 and 727 sitting outside the United Airlines hanger (Though I’m positive I remember the DC10 has since been scrapped later in 2025),

and the 1 hidden in the jungle at the military facility in the south with the decommissioned C130s,

This is what it was like back in 2020,

Would be fantastic to have these added as little Easter eggs if we ever saw the airport added.

Also included this cool photo from Wikipedia,

[T3X45ranger]

The satellite got worse after 6 years

[Tayson]

I fully support this suggestion.

GIG would be an excellent addition after GRU because of its international traffic, cargo operations and wide-body aircraft variety.

[DHC8]

Interesting layout but that’s really the only things standing out from GRU and they very close to each other with basically the same airlines flying

[Pizza_711]

Agreed. It seems like an interesting airport with a far better layout that GRU in my opinion, but I don’t know how I’d feel about having a THIRD latam hub in the game…

[Hirohitoswaifu]

That’s my issue tbh. But compared to a lot of SA airports it definitely is still a contender. Though SDU would be a nice shout for a smaller scale airport with that iconic bank into the airport.

[Tayson]

I understand your point, but I think GIG would still offer a very different experience compared to GRU.

The airport has a unique coastal environment, iconic approaches over Guanabara Bay, strong cargo activity and a different traffic flow style, especially during international evening operations.

Even with some similar airlines, the atmosphere and gameplay potential would feel very different.

[Tayson]

That’s understandable, but I think GIG would stand out more because of its atmosphere and operations rather than just being another LATAM hub.

The mix of domestic traffic, cargo operations, ocean approaches and evening international waves could create a very different experience compared to GRU or SCL.

[DHC8]

Comparing both FR24 and Wikipedia I don’t see it’s much different. Maybe way down the line but two airports in the same area of Brazil is kind of overdoing it

[Tayson]

I understand that point, but I think the gameplay experience would still be very different.

GRU is much more focused on large-scale hub operations, while GIG has a more scenic and coastal atmosphere, different traffic patterns and strong evening international waves.

Even airports in the same country can feel completely different in WoA depending on layout, traffic flow and visual environment.

[CJ_RVWilliams]

If we were to get a second Brazilian airport, I would personally hope for something with a more unique suite of local airlines and an airport that is a hub for some different airlines such as Viracopos (hub for Azul, Brasspress Air Cargo, Modern Logistics Cargo; though I do struggle to see if due to its location so near to GRU) or something In the North with something other than Gol and Latam predominant such as Recife or Manaus. I think an airport in Bolivia, Argentina, or Columbia would be a better solution for another South American airport though, as there are they have some more unique airlines we don’t have hubs for yet.

[Tayson]

I understand your point. But I think GIG’s biggest difference would be the atmosphere and operations rather than the airlines themselves. Ocean approaches, mountain scenery, cargo traffic and the whole Rio environment would make it feel very different from GRU in gameplay.

[Tayson]

Besides the airlines, I think GIG could stand out because of its atmosphere, cargo operations, ocean approaches, mountain scenery and a more wide-body focused operation style. The Rio night environment alone could make it one of the most visually unique airports in the game.

[DHC8]

No offense but if that’s really you’re only reason, there’s other airports that may have similar or even better atmospheres than Rio

We all want our favorite airports for the game but I feel you’re being a bit biased for Rio and with it being in the same country as Guarulhos, it’s a bit overkill as well as another LATAM/GOL hub as Pizza mentioned.

but who knows, maybe the devs will decide to put it in, we shall see

[Tayson]

That’s completely fair, honestly. And yes, I’m definitely a bit biased because Rio airports are some of my favorites in aviation haha.

I also understand the concern about another LATAM/GOL hub. I just think airports like GIG or SDU could stand out more because of their operational style and visual identity rather than airline diversity alone.

But in the end, I agree — it’s up to the devs and we’ll see what direction they choose.

[Tayson]

Honestly, airports with strong atmosphere sometimes become more memorable than airports with huge airline variety. Night operations, scenery and approaches can completely change how an airport feels in a simulator.

What airport do you think would have the best atmosphere in WoA?