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Friday, March 05, 2010
Chile Earthquake and Travel in Chile
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March 5 Update
From Tourism Chile:
SANTIAGO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REPORTS DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL
FLIGHT OPERATIONS GRADUALLY RESUMING
Following the magnitude 8.8 quake that hit central Chile in the early morning
hours of Saturday February 27, 2010, Santiago International Airport suffered structural damage to
the passenger terminal. No damage was reported to the runways and taxiways. All incoming
and departing flight operations were suspended until authorities evaluated the situation in order
to guarantee maximum safety for passengers. Turismo Chile would like to communicate the
latest update regarding operations at Santiago International Airport provided by the airport
authority, SCL Aeropuerto de Santiago, on March 2, 2010 following a meeting with Chiles
National Civil Aviation Authority and airlines operating at the airport.
Flight operations will resume in two phases:
Phase 1 March 2 to 5, 2010 Domestic flights will gradually resume operations with a limited
schedule between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and international flights also with a limited schedule will be
operating between 8.pm and 8 a.m. A temporary makeshift terminal has been set up in tents in
order to process departing passengers. All arriving international flights during this period will
stopover in another Chilean city prior to landing in Santiago in order for passengers to clear
Chilean customs and immigration formalities.
Phase 2 March 5th onward Domestic and international flights will be operating 24 hours. All
domestic flight arrivals and departures will be operating out of a makeshift terminal set up in
tents located to the east of the airports old terminal. International flight departures will move to
the domestic flights sector of the current terminal. International arriving passengers will clear
Chilean customs and immigration formalities in a makeshift facility set up in tents to the west of
the current terminal.
March 2 Update
Chile was hit by a large earthquake on Saturday 27 February at 3:34am registering 8.8 on the Richter scale. This is the 5th strongest ever recorded.
Our local in-country staff and clients currently traveling in Chile are all well and with no serious damage or injury. The areas most affected are the regions of Maule and Bio-Bio, from the cities of Talca (254km/158 miles south of Santiago) to Concepcin (509 km/316 miles South of Santiago) and is where most of the local casualties have been registered. None directly involved any Wildland travelers.
The capital city of Santiago, while also affected to a lesser degree, resisted well but some highways and bridges have been partially destroyed. The government has been working on alternative routes and the city is getting back to a relative level of normality today.
At the present time, the airport of Santiago remains closed, due to the building terminal suffering some damage. It is expected that within the next few days it will re-open using a temporary terminal.
All major Wildland destinations in Chile like travel to Patagonia, Lakes District, Easter Island and travel to Atacama did not suffer severe effects and communication systems there are slowing recovering, in part hampered by an exceptionally high degree of use.
All clients currently traveling in Chile have been contacted and are being kept updated of the latest developments and on flight arrangements for the end of their trips.
We of course appreciate the news pictures are dramatic but nevertheless, for those that wish to continue with their Chile travel plans once the airport is re-open, we can confirm that major Chile travel highlights were not affected with the exception of the airport and certain regions around Santiago which will be first to be restored.
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