Departure
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MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Governador Aluízio Alves International Airport (SBSG/NAT) serves Natal from the municipality of São Gonçalo do Amarante in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, replacing the former Augusto Severo Airport. It is a major international gateway for the northeast of Brazil, with a single long runway equipped with ILS, making it a straightforward and capable field for simulator pilots flying airliner or general aviation traffic into the region.
Governador Aluízio Alves International Airport is the main airport serving Natal, though it lies within the neighbouring municipality of São Gonçalo do Amarante rather than Natal itself. Built to replace the older Augusto Severo International Airport, it opened in 2014 and was the first airport in Brazil to be operated entirely by a private concessionaire from the outset. Today it is operated by Zurich Airport Brasil and handles a substantial mix of domestic and international scheduled traffic, making it a useful and realistic destination for simulator pilots flying medium and long-haul routes into northeastern Brazil.
The airport sits in São Gonçalo do Amarante, Rio Grande do Norte, roughly 25 km from downtown Natal. It lies close to several small towns and settlements, including Jacaré Mirim a couple of miles away, São Gonçalo do Amarante itself a few miles further, and Extremoz and Macaíba each around six miles distant, with Ceará-Mirim about ten miles off and central Natal some twelve miles away. As an international commercial airport it is served by air traffic control and sits within controlled airspace appropriate to its scheduled jet traffic.
The airport has a single physical runway, 12/30, measuring 9,791 feet and surfaced in hard-standing (asphalt/concrete). Runway 12 is equipped with an ILS approach, giving pilots a precision instrument option for arrivals from that direction; runway 30 is served visually or by other means. The considerable length of the runway comfortably accommodates wide-body and narrow-body jet traffic as well as general aviation movements.
Pilots should expect an ATIS broadcast on 127.6 MHz, tower control on 118.2 MHz, and an ILS operating on 109.7 MHz associated with runway 12. As a controlled international airport, arriving and departing traffic is worked by air traffic control throughout the approach, landing, and departure phases.
The airport can be located visually with reference to the surrounding towns: Jacaré Mirim lies immediately to the north, São Gonçalo do Amarante a little further out, and Extremoz and Macaíba each some six miles away, with Ceará-Mirim and Natal city centre further afield to the south and east respectively. These settlements provide useful orientation points for pilots inbound under visual conditions before establishing contact with the tower.
The airport was constructed to replace the constrained Augusto Severo International Airport, with planning and initial construction begun by the state operator Infraero in 1998. In 2011 the unfinished facility's concession was auctioned by Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency, and Consortium Inframérica, a joint venture between the Brazilian firm Engevix and the Argentine group Corporación América, won the rights to complete and operate it, taking 100 percent of the shares in an arrangement distinct from other Brazilian airport privatisations where the state retained a stake. This made it the first airport in Brazil operated wholly by a private company. In 2013 the airport was named in part after Aluízio Alves, a former governor of Rio Grande do Norte. Domestic operations began on 31 May 2014, with international flights following within days, and the airport was formally inaugurated on 9 June 2014. The concession passed through further changes over the following decade: in 2021 ANAC approved a new concession process at Inframérica's request, and in 2023 Zurich Airport Brasil won a 30-year concession to take over operations.
The airport is now operated by Zurich Airport Brasil and functions as a busy international gateway for Natal and the wider Rio Grande do Norte region, handling well over two million passengers a year in recent reporting periods along with a significant volume of cargo. It is served by multiple airlines operating domestic routes across Brazil as well as international connections, including services to Buenos Aires and Lisbon. General aviation and simulator pilots planning a visit should be aware that, as a large controlled international airport, prior permission or coordination through normal air traffic control procedures will be required for any non-scheduled arrival.