In Chile, Santiago airport starts operation of the new T1-A building
The new T1-A building at Santiago Airport, a 17,334 m2 infrastructure featuring eight new boarding gates, was inaugurated by the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric; along with the Minister of Defense, Maya Fernández, the Minister of Public Works, Jessica López, the Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela. This expansion significantly enhances the capacity of the Domestic Terminal (T1).
The new Santiago airport T1-A building, which involved an investment of US$20.2 million, is part of the T1 modernization project. This plan includes the refurbishing of various spaces, such as boarding and arrival zones, and a new baggage claim area, as well as an expansion of capacity, from 22 to 40 boarding gates when the works are completed, at the end of next year. The T1-A building will also incorporate four stores, restaurants, services, children's games and art.
Due to this increase, T1 will be able to serve up to 20 million passengers who travel between Santiago and 17 destinations within Chile each year.
President Gabriel Boric highlighted that with this new building “millions of Chileans will be able to visit, as a result of the material progress of our country, the beautiful corners that our country has (…). This is reactivation, it is dynamism of the economy, it is work, it is happiness for families who travel, it is good news for Chile."
Along with the new T1-A, the authorities also put into operation the new western boarding area, which will operate with eight security control machines and six PDI document checking booths for flights to Eastern Island.
“After the delivery of a new international terminal in 2022, we are proud to offer Chilean domestic passengers a brand new facility with modern and spacious infrastructure and state-of-the-art equipment. The T1-A building will provide an enhanced quality of service immediately, especially for travelers on the move for Fiestas Patrias, Chilean national holidays. With this new achievement, VINCI Airports continues fulfilling its commitments towards Chile, in the framework of the concession contract signed in 2015,” says Valerie Vesque-Jeancard, Chairwoman of the board of Nuevo Pudahuel and managing director of VINCI Airports.
The new building begins to operate in advance of the next National Holidays (September 18 and 19), which will set a record with more than 700 thousand passengers, according to airline projections. The boom is due to the fact that this year there will be an additional holiday (Friday, September 20), which will allow the celebrations to be extended until Sunday, September 22.
