Passengers arriving at Aracaju International Airport - Santa Maria who want to continue by bus do not need to memorize the entire network. Aena's airport page lists three common routes as references: 413 to Terminal DIA, 008 to Terminal Atalaia and Downtown, and 502 to Terminal Atalaia. The SMTT consultation carried out on August 30, 2026 keeps all three in the network under the names 413 - Aquarius / DIA via Aeroporto, 008 - Porto Sul / Bairro Industrial and 502 - Aeroporto / Zona Sul.
The most important point is that the name shown by SMTT does not always repeat the destination summarized by Aena. That explains why a search for "Downtown" may not show the word Centro in the name of route 008, even though Aena indicates it for that trip. To avoid mistakes, use the route number, check the direction and open the route map before boarding.
For the Atalaia waterfront: 502 is the simplest reference to
Terminal Zona Sul
If your destination is the Atalaia area and you want to reach Terminal Zona Sul, route 502 is the most direct reference. Aena presents it as a route to Terminal Atalaia, while SMTT uses the operational name Aeroporto / Zona Sul. In practice, the two names point to the same travel logic: leaving the airport area toward the Zona Sul terminal in the Atalaia area.
The Atalaia waterfront, however, is extensive. If your hotel, guesthouse or restaurant is farther along Avenida Santos Dumont, it is worth comparing the route of the 502 with the 008. The route consulted for the 008 passes Terminal Zona Sul and then runs along parts of the waterfront before continuing toward the central area. Depending on the exact address, this may avoid a longer walk
or an unnecessary transfer.
For that reason, do not use only "Orla" as your destination. Search for the hotel or point of interest by name and see which stop is closest. In route-planning apps, include "Aracaju, SE" and, when useful, also use "Terminal Zona Sul" or "Orla de Atalaia" to avoid confusion with similarly named places in other states.
For Downtown: route 008 is the main reference from the airport
For travelers going from the airport to the central area, route 008 is the reference indicated by Aena itself. SMTT currently identifies this route as Porto Sul / Bairro Industrial, and that name may seem odd to someone expecting to see "Centro" on the destination display or schedule page. The airport is an intermediate point on the route, not the name of either endpoint.
In the direction toward Bairro Industrial, the itinerary consulted leaves the south zone, passes the airport, reaches Terminal Zona Sul, runs through the waterfront area and then enters the central corridor, passing through the Avenida Rio Branco area and Terminal Mercado before continuing. For a destination in Downtown, this is the direction that should be checked when boarding.
"Downtown" is not a single point either. Anyone going to Mercado Municipal, Avenida Rio Branco, the historic area or another central address should open the route map and identify the most suitable stop. This is safer than automatically getting off at a terminal and only later discovering that the address was better served by an earlier stop.
For Terminal DIA: use 413 toward Terminal D.I.A.
Route 413 appears on Aena as the option for Terminal DIA and on SMTT as Aquarius / DIA via Aeroporto. To leave the airport toward DIA, the practical guidance is to look for bus 413 in the direction of Terminal D.I.A.
As with route 008, the airport is in the middle of route 413. This has an important consequence for the schedule: the table may show the departure time from Aquarius or from Terminal D.I.A., but that is not necessarily the time the bus will pass in front of the airport. The time to reach the stop depends on direction, traffic and operating conditions.
Why the route names seem contradictory
Aena organizes the information by the useful destination for someone arriving at the airport. That is why it summarizes 413 as Terminal DIA, 008 as Terminal Atalaia and Downtown, and 502 as Terminal Atalaia. SMTT, by contrast, displays the operational names of the routes, usually formed by their endpoints or main terminals.
On July 10, 2026, SMTT mentioned these routes again in a fleet update: 413 and 502 were among the routes scheduled to receive new electric buses, while 008 already appeared among routes served by electric vehicles. The publication does not mean that every trip on these routes is operated by an electric bus, but it serves as a recent official confirmation that all three were still part of the city's operation.
How to check the correct schedule before leaving the airport
The safest reference for schedules and routes is Aracaju SMTT's "Itinerário e Horário de Ônibus" service. On the website smtt.aracaju.se.gov.br, open Itinerário e Horário de Ônibus, search for 008, 413 or 502 and open the route and schedule options.
Then check three pieces of information together: the type of day, the direction of travel and the reference point used by the timetable. Weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays may have different schedules. Direction also changes how the table should be read. And when the timetable gives the departure time from a terminal or neighborhood located before the airport, that time should not be treated as the exact time the bus will pass AJU.
This caution is especially important on routes 008 and 413 because the airport is an intermediate stop. If the page or app shows an arrival estimate for the stop, use that estimate as additional guidance. If it shows only the departure from the end of the route, allow extra time and follow the route.
Aena for which routes serve the airport; SMTT for day-to-day operations
The two sources serve different purposes. Aena's page is useful for confirming which bus routes are presented to passengers at Aracaju Airport. SMTT's page is the better reference for checking the current route name, itinerary and timetable.
If there is a difference between older information saved on your phone and the current SMTT consultation, treat the most recent consultation as the priority for operations. Temporary changes caused by roadworks, events and traffic can also alter the route on certain days, so it is worth making one last check close to your flight's arrival time.
What to check on the destination display before boarding
For Terminal DIA, look for 413 and confirm the direction Terminal D.I.A. For Terminal Zona Sul in Atalaia, 502 is the most direct reference. For Downtown, or for a waterfront address better served by the corridor used by 008, confirm route 008 and the appropriate direction before boarding.
Do not rely only on the route number. If the destination display is abbreviated, if there is partial operation or if the vehicle is providing a service different from the usual one, confirm with the driver or with the stop signage. Aena's page lists the routes that serve the airport but does not provide a fixed boarding-platform number; the active stop therefore needs to be identified on site.
In short: which bus to take at AJU
For DIA, the answer is 413. For Terminal Zona Sul and Atalaia, 502 is the most direct option. For Downtown, the main reference is 008; the same 008 may also be useful for stretches of the waterfront, depending on your final stop.
The detail that prevents mistakes is checking the direction and not blindly copying the terminal departure time as if it were the time the bus will pass the airport. With the route number and the exact destination address in hand, SMTT's consultation lets you make the trip decision with much greater confidence.
