Private Jet Catering Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SBRJ / SDU) and Galeão (SBGL / GIG): Crew & Passenger Guide
Updated: 7 days ago
Private jet catering in Rio de Janeiro brings together two very different airports and one of the most beautiful settings in the world. Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SBRJ / SDU) sits on Guanabara Bay with Sugarloaf Mountain in view, minutes from the city centre, while Rio de Janeiro Galeão (SBGL / GIG) on Ilha do Governador welcomes the long-range jets that link Rio with Europe, North America and the rest of South America. This guide shows crews and passengers how Global Diners prepares catering for both.
Global Diners prepares VVIP inflight catering in our own kitchens in Paris, Nice and Madrid and in our kitchens across more than 2,500 airports. In South America, Rio connects naturally with São Paulo Guarulhos (SBGR / GRU) and with our new station at Buenos Aires Ezeiza (SAEZ / EZE), where crews have shared very positive feedback on the first services. One menu and one specialised team serve every leg.
Santos Dumont and Galeão: which Rio airport for your flight?
Santos Dumont is one of the most spectacular city airports anywhere, with a runway along the bay and the business district a few minutes away. It handles much of Rio's domestic private traffic, including the busy shuttle to São Paulo Congonhas, and suits short sectors, day trips and weekend flights. Galeão, Rio's main international airport, is the natural choice for long-haul arrivals and departures and for larger cabins.
Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SBRJ / SDU) | Rio de Janeiro Galeão (SBGL / GIG) | |
Typical mission | Domestic hops, São Paulo shuttle, weekend flights | Long-haul and international flights, larger cabins |
Catering style | Fresh fruit, salads, chilled seafood, breakfast boxes | Several courses, hot dishes for reheating, crew meals |
Global Diners delivery | Coordinated with your FBO or handler | Coordinated with your FBO or handler |
Ordering | 24 hours ahead recommended, earlier in summer and at Carnival | 24 hours ahead recommended, earlier at New Year and Carnival |
Many visitors arrive at Galeão on a long-range flight and leave from Santos Dumont for a weekend on the coast, or the other way round. Our team can plan both legs from one request, adapting each menu to the length of the flight and the time of day.
Carioca flavours: Rio's food culture on board
Rio's cuisine is relaxed, sunny and generous, shaped by the beach, the boteco and the Saturday feijoada. It borrows from every region of Brazil and mixes Portuguese, African and Indigenous roots with a love of fresh fruit and seafood. Bringing that spirit on board is simple when the dishes are chosen for the galley.
Feijoada carioca: the Saturday ritual of black beans and pork with rice, greens, farofa and orange, packed for reheating on longer flights.
Boteco favourites: bolinhos de bacalhau, codfish croquettes, and pastel, cut into small portions for canapé service.
Beach classics: grilled coalho cheese with oregano, açaí bowls with granola and banana, and fresh coconut water.
Seafood: prawns, grilled fish fillets and moqueca-style stews with coconut milk, with sauces packed separately.
Tropical fruit: mango, papaya, passion fruit, pineapple and cashew fruit, cut and chilled for the cabin.
Rio is also the home of filé Oswaldo Aranha, a garlicky steak named after a famous diplomat, served with rice, farofa and crisp potatoes. It reheats well and makes a charming Carioca main course. For dessert, passion-fruit mousse, quindim and brigadeiros finish the meal with a smile.
Rio invites passengers to slow down and enjoy the view. A light, fresh menu lets that mood continue all the way on board.
Drinks and celebrations
Freshly pressed juices of passion fruit, mango, acerola and cashew fruit, iced mate in the Carioca beach style, coconut water and guaraná bring a Brazilian accent to the bar. For celebrations, caipirinhas, Brazilian sparkling wines and champagne are offered subject to local rules, and alcohol-free sparkling alternatives are always available. Our guide to wine pairing for private jet catering offers more ideas.
New Year's Eve on Copacabana and Carnival are the great celebrations of the Rio year, and many flights carry passengers to or from a party. Celebratory platters with canapés, seafood, cheese and petits fours can be added on request, as well as light breakfasts for the morning after.
Island and coast hops from Rio
Rio is the gateway to some of Brazil's most beautiful coastline. Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande, with their hundreds of islands, the colonial town of Paraty, the peninsula resort of Búzios and the imperial mountain city of Petrópolis are all favourite weekend destinations. Many trips continue by helicopter, boat or car, so compact, well-sealed boxes with fruit, salads, sandwiches and cold drinks are the perfect companions for these short legs.
When an itinerary combines a long-range flight into Galeão with a coastal hop, share the full plan when you order. Our team prepares each leg with the right format, and the guide to crew catering for layovers and multi-day trips offers ideas for crews staying a few nights in the city.
Seasons, freshness and galley-ready packing
The southern summer from December to March is hot and lively, the high season for Carnival, New Year and beach weekends. Winter, from June to August, brings milder days and clear skies. In every season, Global Diners follows HACCP principles and a strict cold chain, with every item individually portioned and labelled with its allergens, reheating guidance on hot dishes and sauces packed separately.
Halal, kosher and alcohol-free menus: available on request, with vegan and vegetarian dishes too.
Chilled formats: açaí, seafood and fruit kept cold from the kitchen to the aircraft.
Restaurant pick-ups: a favourite Rio restaurant can be coordinated on request.
Order 24 hours ahead: a little earlier during Carnival, New Year and summer weekends.
How to order catering at Santos Dumont and Galeão
Email order@globaldiners.com with the aircraft registration, airport, date, delivery time and passenger count.
Add dietary needs, allergies and any Carioca dishes you would like on board.
Share connecting legs, such as a coastal hop, in the same message.
Receive your dedicated quote and a written confirmation from our specialised team.
Our team coordinates the delivery time with your FBO or handler.
Coming very soon: the client portal and crew training
The Global Diners client portal is coming very soon. It is designed to bring the Global Diners menu, order requests, confirmations and documents into one space for crew, operations and finance. Until it opens, every request goes through order@globaldiners.com.
A Global Diners crew training programme will also launch soon, and we look forward to sharing it with the crews who fly with us through Rio and across our network.
Rio de Janeiro High Season: Ordering Private Jet Catering at Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SBRJ / SDU)
Santos Dumont sits on the edge of Guanabara Bay in central Rio, with Sugarloaf in view and the business district a few minutes away, so it handles much of the city's domestic private traffic. Demand peaks around Carnival, New Year's Eve on Copacabana, the Rio Open tennis week, Festival do Rio and the summer weekends that send residents to Angra dos Reis, Paraty and Búzios. The compact apron makes parking and turn timing precious during these periods. Order well beyond the standard 24 hours, send final passenger numbers early and fix delivery times with your handler. Fresh, light formats — fruit, salads, chilled seafood and individual breakfast boxes — suit the short, warm-weather hops typical of this downtown airport.
Event | When | Where |
Carnival | February or March (varies) | Marquês de Sapucaí Sambadrome and street blocos across Rio |
Réveillon (New Year's Eve) | December | Copacabana Beach |
Rio Open | February | Jockey Club Brasileiro, Gávea |
Festival do Rio | October (usually) | Cinemas across Rio de Janeiro |
Summer coast season | December to March | Angra dos Reis, Paraty and Búzios |
Carnival at Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SBRJ / SDU): February or March (varies)
Rio's Carnival centres on the samba-school parades at the Marquês de Sapucaí Sambadrome, a short drive from Santos Dumont, and on hundreds of blocos in the streets. Domestic private jet flights from São Paulo, Brasília and Belo Horizonte arrive throughout the long weekend, many with quick turnarounds. Order catering several days ahead and confirm guest numbers before the festivities start. Tropical menus with açaí, mango, passion-fruit mousse, light sandwiches and coconut water keep passengers refreshed, and celebratory platters can be added on request.
Each year the event calendar moves, so please check current dates with our team when ordering.
Things to do around Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SBRJ / SDU)
Few city airports sit so close to landmarks: Sugarloaf Mountain and its cable car rise within sight of the runway, and Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado overlooks the bay. Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon beaches are a short drive away, with beach volleyball, kiosks and the Arpoador rock for sunset. The Tijuca Forest offers waterfall trails and viewpoints, and the Botanical Garden is a quiet retreat. Ferries across Guanabara Bay reach Niterói, while hang-gliders launch from Pedra Bonita and land on São Conrado beach. Football fans head to the Maracanã for a match or a stadium tour.
Culture and heritage near Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SBRJ / SDU)
Rio was Brazil's capital until 1960 and briefly the seat of the Portuguese empire, and the centre around Praça XV, close to Santos Dumont, still shows that past. The Theatro Municipal, the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura and the Museu do Amanhã on the revitalised port waterfront are all nearby. The Escadaria Selarón stairway in Lapa and the colonial streets of Santa Teresa round out a walk through the city's history.
Also on your Brazil itinerary: Rio de Janeiro Galeão (SBGL / GIG)
Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport, on Ilha do Governador north of the city centre, is Rio's main international airport and handles long-haul private jet flights from Europe and North America. Business passengers travel for energy, oil and gas, media and finance, while leisure visitors come for the beaches of Ipanema and Leblon, the Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf Mountain. Many continue by helicopter or car to Angra dos Reis, Paraty or Búzios, where yachting and island homes draw seasonal visitors. Summer, Carnival and New Year's Eve are the busiest periods.
Galeão lies on Ilha do Governador, north of the city, so most visitors cross to the south zone or Barra da Tijuca on arrival. Barra's long beaches and the quieter sands of Prainha and Grumari to the west suit surfers and walkers, and golfers can play the Olympic Golf Course in Barra. Boat trips from Marina da Glória explore Guanabara Bay, while day trips reach the islands of Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande, the colonial streets of Paraty and the imperial city of Petrópolis in the mountains. In town, Sugarloaf, Christ the Redeemer and the Tijuca Forest remain the classic sights.
FBOs at every airport in this guide
Here are the business aviation terminals (FBOs) at each airport mentioned above. Our team coordinates every catering delivery with the FBO or handler you choose, and our own kitchens deliver planeside at Paris (LFPB / LBG) and Nice (LFMN / NCE).
Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SBRJ / SDU): Lider Aviacao
Rio de Janeiro Galeão (SBGL / GIG): Lider Aviacao
São Paulo Guarulhos (SBGR / GRU): Lider Aviacao, ABS Airport Business Services and GATGRU
Buenos Aires Ezeiza (SAEZ / EZE): Argentina Ground Support, ARSOT Flight Support, Munser FBO, Aerowise, FBO VIP Club and Transair Intl Svcs
Frequently asked questions
How do I order private jet catering in Rio de Janeiro?
Email order@globaldiners.com with your aircraft registration, airport (Santos Dumont or Galeão), date, delivery time, passenger count and dietary needs. Our specialised team sends a dedicated quote and a written confirmation. We recommend ordering 24 hours ahead.
Should I use Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SBRJ / SDU) or Rio de Janeiro Galeão (SBGL / GIG)?
Santos Dumont, in the city centre, suits domestic hops and weekend flights, while Galeão is Rio's main international airport for long-haul flights. Global Diners prepares catering for both, with delivery coordinated with your FBO or handler.
Can I order catering for Carnival or New Year's Eve flights?
Yes. These are the busiest weeks of the Rio year, so we recommend ordering earlier than the usual 24 hours. Celebratory platters, light breakfasts and compact boxes for quick turns can all be prepared.
What is the Global Diners client portal?
The portal, coming very soon, is designed to bring the Global Diners menu, order requests, confirmations and documents into one space for crew, operations and finance. Until it opens, all orders go through order@globaldiners.com.
Can I order an açaí breakfast for an early flight from Santos Dumont (SBRJ / SDU)?
Yes. For departures from Santos Dumont Airport (SBRJ / SDU), açaí bowls with granola and banana can be prepared on request and kept chilled for cabin service, along with pão de queijo, tropical fruit and fresh juices. The order is confirmed with the quote, and our team coordinates delivery with your FBO or handler for your departure time.
Is catering available for flights leaving Rio's Santos Dumont during Carnival?
Yes. Santos Dumont Airport (SBRJ / SDU) is busy during Rio's Carnival, and Global Diners can cater both arrivals and departures throughout the festival. Ordering early is recommended to secure delivery windows and specific dishes. Short-notice requests are welcome, and our specialised team confirms what can be arranged for each flight.
Explore more destinations and guides
Private jet catering in Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont (SBRJ / SDU)
Private jet catering in Rio de Janeiro Galeão (SBGL / GIG)
Private jet catering in São Paulo Guarulhos (SBGR / GRU)
Flying to Rio de Janeiro soon?
From a long-range arrival at Galeão to a sunny hop from Santos Dumont, Global Diners brings one menu, one specialised team and our kitchens to Rio de Janeiro. Send us your schedule and we will prepare a dedicated quote, so every flight carries a little of the Carioca spirit.
To request a quote, email order@globaldiners.com with your aircraft registration, airport, date, delivery time and passenger count. Our specialised team replies with a dedicated quote for your mission.
Comments