Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport

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The front elevation of Arturo Merino Benitez airport at night

Passengers moving through Arrivals

The Winds of Change

The inauguration of the new terminal at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport signals a new era for Chile’s air transport sector

From Torres del Paine National Park and the Atacama Desert to the world-class vintages and magnificent hot springs, South America’s Chile offers an abundance of tourist attractions and leisure opportunities for

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the global public. Making this possible is Chile’s air transport sector, which provides a comprehensive network for the flow of people, goods, services, and investments across the world.

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has rocked the global tourism industry, the airport transport sector has not ground to a halt. Keeping faith in the idea that clear skies follow the storm, the Arturo Merino Benítez Airport, also known as Santiago International Airport, recently saw the fruition of an ambitious five-year expansion project: the opening of its new international terminal, Terminal 2 (T2).

T2 represents an investment of US$990 million and is one of the largest infrastructure concessions made in Chile’s history. Covering an area of over 200 000sq.m, the new terminal expands the airport’s capacity from 16 million to 38 million passengers per year. The project was facilitated by the Nuevo Pudahuel consortium, which comprises Vinci Airports, Aeroports de Paris (ADP), and Astaldi. The group became the manager and custodian of the Arturo Merino Benítez Airport in October 2015. In the making since 2017, the T2 project involved an in-depth airport infrastructure transformation, with the end user’s experience serving as a focal point of design inspiration.

Executive President of Nuevo Pudahuel, Xavier Lortat-Jacob, said: “This work summarizes the combined experience and knowledge of Groupe ADP, VINCI Airports and Astaldi... We are providing Chile with a new gateway to the country that meets the highest international standards, further enhancing the attractiveness of Santiago Airport, helping to strengthen Chile’s connectivity with the world, and fulfilling its potential as a business, tourism, and innovation center in Latin America.”

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Panoramic aerial view of Arturo Merino Benitez airport

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Modernization and transformation

The new terminal’s design realizes the consortium’s vision of improving the passenger experience. The expansion has resulted in a drastic waiting time reduction due to the addition of 96 automated self-service check-in counters, 40% more immigration kiosks at border control, self-service baggage drop counters, and a new baggage management system. The large duty-free section, new restaurants and on-site retail outlets, as well as the provision of services like the nursery room and exhibition hall, also go a long way in fulfilling travelers’ expectations.

“A new international terminal does not have a new infrastructure as its final objective, but rather it is the means by which Nuevo Pudahuel can make the Arturo Merino Benítez airport evolve into a space where the country’s connectivity multiplies, at lower values for democratization of air transport, where the path begins to fulfill the commitment of this concessionaire to transform the Santiago airport into a zero carbon footprint and where the culture of the country is shown in its maximum splendor, through its roots and also a technology of point, which will be modified year after year thanks to the investment and commitment of Nuevo Pudahuel to Chile”, expounded Xavier. From a technology perspective, both the national and international terminals are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, such as state-ofthe-art baggage scanning equipment, modern boarding bridges with visual guidance systems for docking, and a multiservice network, which connects the entire airport through a series of fiber-optic rings, allowing for increased bandwidth capacity. Other noteworthy technologies include new digital CCTV surveillance installations and the Monitoring Control System (MCS), which is based on software and a network of control and monitoring units in hardware.

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Sustainable aviation

On 6 April 2022, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) held its 12th annual Wings of Change Americas conference. The event offers a platform for industry leaders and experts to discuss relevant aviation trends and topics. This year, the panels focused on driving innovation for a sustainable future along the aviation value chain and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Emphasis was placed upon tenets such as remaining adaptable, integrating new technologies, and driving sustainability.

Arturo Merino Benítez Airport has made considerable progress in this vein; embracing sustainability by embarking on a process of environmental transition. Nuevo Pudahuel has taken concrete steps towards a sustainable future, enabling Santiago Airport to be one of the first to join Level 2 of the Airport Carbon Accreditation; as set out by the Airports Council International.

“We’re investing in electricity, energy saving, waste treatment, and water distribution. As an example, we have changed all the lights in the existing terminal to bring them up to environmental standards…We invested in solar panels on the roof of the existing terminal. We have waste management in the existing terminal and we’re committed to reducing our carbon emissions to 50% of what they are today,” stated Xavier. Arturo Merino Benítez Airport has made headway with a 70% reduction in lighting energy consumption, a decrease in land transport emissions resulting from bus transport electrification, and the reforestation of seven hectares of airport land. These actions suggest that the airport is on its way to achieving its objective of reducing the airport’s carbon footprint by 40% in 2030 and realizing net zero emissions by 2050.

www.nuevopudahuel.cl

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Morpho: as Chilean as wine

Fifteen years ago, we arrived in this magnificent land in the south of the continent. We went into its markets, visited its villages, connected with its artisans, and discovered behind each loom, each clay pot, each wicker basket, and each poncho a unique and sublime story. That is what we do at Morpho every time we arrive in a country: we connect with its culture, we learn from its history, we vibrate to the rhythm of its heartbeat. That is why each of our stores is a little piece with the aroma of the country that hosts it, because we have designed them to house the best of the traditions of those who today are our hosts.

We currently operate in five regional airports: Calama, Iquique, Concepción, Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas, in addition to 15 stores in Santiago de Chile.

They say that in the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity, and so it was for Morpho in 2020. During the pandemic that filled us with fear and cast a shadow of uncertainty, we were presented with the opportunity to participate in a tender, which kept us busy and full of enthusiasm, focused on designing a value proposition that would allow us to win. And we did! We were awarded 19 commercial spaces totaling 4126 m2, which will strengthen our expansion in Chile with the opening of 5 food and beverage stores and 14 retail stores in the new terminal of the Santiago international airport.

As of February 2022, Chileans, and all travelers from other countries transiting through these airports, will live unique and memorable experiences in our fascinating stores.

Our innovations for Chile will amaze you. Since february, we will offer the following options:

Let’s start with Casa Chile: The true spirit of the Chilean artisan will be in this store, where travelers will find a lot of beautiful handicrafts and delicate gourmet products, made by Chilean entrepreneurs.

For jewelry lovers, a mandatory stop will be Jewelry Me, where they can find the finest Chilean jewelry and original silver, copper, and gold craftwork. We know that between connecting flights there is always time to check our email over a delicious cup of coffee. That’s why we’re opening Britt Café Bakery, where travelers can savor the most exquisite French pastries accompanied by gourmet coffee, as well as a variety of lunch options and tasty breakfasts.

And as in any airport in the world, for travelers who always appreciate a delightful cocktail, we will open Bartolomé: a pleasant and relaxed place, a bar where you can indulge yourself with the taste and quality of delicious traditional Chilean seafood, in addition to our local wines and cocktails.

And what everyone likes, a tasty place with a hint of cheese and basil, California Pizza Kitchen: a delicious pizza with an international menu that will be the favorite place for those who want to experience a unique pizza or pasta.

We could not leave out our Britt Shop legacy: a store that offers traditional gifts, souvenirs, t-shirts, chocolates, and mementos that capture the essence and culture of the country.

For those who love a good steak in the best Chilean barbecue style, we will offer Bárbaro.

El Salar de Sol is a very exclusive gift, handicrafts, and traditional spices store, where travelers will be delighted with its variety and good taste.

In the public area, the traveler will find Patagónico del Sur, a very special gift store, the perfect option for those saying goodbye and those welcoming visitors.

www.morphotr.com

PROJECT DIRECTED BY Chiara Salter

Annalisa Ferri, CEO, Ecopack

WRITTEN BY Frew Murdoch