On 21 May 1959, a formal agreement between Varig, Cruzeiro do Sul and VASP created the shuttle service to Rio de Janeiro that made the airport famous, being the first of its kind in the world. The service was called "Air Bridge" (), inspired on the Berlin Airlift; its first flight was operated on 6 July 1959. It operated between Rio de Janeiro–Santos Dumont and Congonhas Airports and comprised regular departures, usually every half-hour, a common check-in counter and simplified tickets and formalities. The service was an instant success. Sadia, later known as Transbrasil, joined the partnership in 1968. In 1999 the service was discontinued, as more competitive economic times made airlines decide to operate their services independently on that route.