MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Santiago airport plan to double passenger traffic

Santiago de Chile's international air terminal Pudahuel will be expanded to receive 20 million passengers annually from its current 9 million. The original plan was for the reform to become operational in 2018/19 but given the rapid growth of air traffic plans were advanced to 2013/14.

"The specific needs regarding services, areas, technology, impacts, connectivity and the works will be defined with a master plan by the French company Aéroport de Paris Ingeniérie (ADPI)", announced Yazmin Balboa head of the Airports Department from the Chilean Public Works Ministry. The basic cooperation agreement in air transport and terminals was signed earlier this week by Public Works minister Sergio Bitar and the French ambassador in Santiago, Maryse Bossiere. "We've advanced the timetable and we value the agreement because it will enable us a quick reassessment of our master plan", said Minister Bittar. "Santiago's airport needs a quality thrust in services and technology; the expansion must be addressed with ambition in the long term" said Felipe Starling vice president of ADPI. The French company was involved in the expansion of Santiago's main airport in the early nineties and "we're interested in participating in this new project", he added. The updating of the airport's master plan has a cost of approximately 1.5 million US dollars of which 30% will be paid by Chile and the rest by the French government. Chile has an ambitious plan to improve its air terminals infrastructure including the Mataveri airport at Easter island, in Porvenir, Tierra del Fuego; Osorno, Valdivia and Balmaceda.