President Piñera inaugurates Terminal 2 at the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago: “Chile is one of the world’s most integrated countries and our air connections need to be able to address the challenges we face”
The new facilities have benefited from US$1 billion in investment. They provide a new gate for connections to foreign countries and more than double the airport’s capacity, which will go from serving 13 million to 38 million passengers per year.
The President of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, inaugurated Terminal 2 at the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago this Saturday. The new terminal will allow the airport to almost triple the number of passengers it serves, going from 13 million to 38 million per year.
“Our government is committed to providing speed, comfort, and security of service to users,” the President stated at the opening ceremony. He was accompanied by Interior Minister Rodrigo Delgado, Public Works Minister Alfredo Moreno, Transport and Telecommunications Minister Gloria Hutt, and Economy Minister Lucas Palacios.
The project will not only provide a new building for international air transport; it has also remodeled the current terminal, which will now be used for domestic passenger services. It also incorporates technologies to streamline airport processes, improve service quality, and upgrade the infrastructure.
The new terminal has four piers, 45 boarding gates – bringing the total to 76 –, 96 self-check-in points, 56 police immigration departure booths and 66 arrival booths, 44 counters, 6,995 parking spaces, a station for 26 buses, and two boulevards with a 250-person-capacity amphitheater and an exhibition center.
“Chile is one of the world’s most integrated countries and our air connections need to be able to address the challenges we face,” President Piñera added.
The new gate for connections to foreign countries will allow the airport to meet various needs, such as reducing waiting times and increasing the number of flights, as well as helping Chile to become an attractive tourist and business hub.
The work entailed US$1 billion in investment and more than 4,500 people were employed during the construction.
Nuevo Pudahuel Terminal 2 covers an area of 110,000 m2. Together with Terminal 1, the airport now covers a total area of 300,000 m2, equivalent to the size of 26 football stadiums.
“These modernizations will allow all Chileans and their families to have fuller and happier lives,” the President concluded.