The recent unveiling of plans for a brand-new LaGuardia Airport in New York City has a lot of people breathing a sigh of relief, as one of the most reviled airports in the United States is finally in line for a total makeover. But travelers continue to talk about the need for upgrades in travel infrastructure around the Americas. After all, we hear about award-winning airports in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, but when was the last time you hear someone rave about a U.S. airport, or an airport in Latin America?
(If you need a reminder of the things we travelers go through, check out my post, The 7 Most Annoying Things Airlines & Airports Do in Latin America.)
At least some airport administrations — and a handful of Latin American airlines — have taken note of the often substandard conditions we face in Latin America, and are ramping up major improvements — including, in at least two cases, entirely new airport terminals that will be fresh from the ground up. Here are four airports in Latin America that just might change the way you travel (for the better).
Tocumen International Airport, Panama City, Panama: The biggest airport in Central America is about to get even bigger, as plans call to increase capacity from 5.8 to 18 million passengers per year by 2022. They hope to attract new airlines with the impressive new venue, but passengers flying Copa Airlines, which has its hub here, are likely to benefit too. The new South Terminal, which will operate together with the existing facilities, is being built by Brazilian firm Norberto Odebrecht, and is designed to reflect the Panamanian landscape, with an open garden planted with trees and flora from Panama‘s tropical forests. The bronze-colored, aerodynamic roof provides a futuristic, winglike look to the new terminal, which is to open by 2017, with 20 new gates and the ability to accommodate giant Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 aircraft.
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DON’T MISS: LatinFlyer’s Airline Review section shows what’s really on board!
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Benito Juarez International Airport, Mexico City, Mexico: The city’s existing airport, hemmed in by residences, businesses and highways on all sides, has been over congested for years. Finally, plans have been secured to construct a brand-new airport in a new location, further east from the city, which will open by 2020 (see the video above for some interesting visuals and explanations of the design). The all-new Mexico City airport will be able to handle four times the traffic of the existing airport, with six runways and a six-million-square-foot terminal. The architects are Fernando Romero, the designer of Mexico City‘s eye-catching Soumaya Museum, and Foster and Partners. The new airport is heavy with symbolism and style: The X-shaped terminal is supposedly a reference to the “x” in “Mexico,” and the access road will be designed with elements that symbolize a snake, while the roof of the arrivals section will represent the eagle with its wings open in flight (a snake and eagle appear on Mexico‘s flag).
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DON’T MISS: Mexican History, Mexican Art: 4 Great Museums in Mexico City
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Jorge Chávez International Airport, Lima, Peru: The airport that serves Peru‘s capital is in the third phase of a multi-year improvement and expansion program — a long-range upgrade that has allowed the airport to garner several awards along the way. Phase 3 of the expansion of Jorge Chávez International Airport includes the construction of a second runway, a larger number of aircraft parking spaces and taxiways, a new terminal for passengers, a new cargo terminal, and additional access ways to the airport, among other facilities.
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DON’T MISS: The 7 Most Annoying Things Airlines & Airports Do in Latin America
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Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, Santiago de Chile: The airport in Chile‘s capital is extending public areas, adding new international police booths for immigration processing, adding a remote international boarding area and extending national and international arrivals areas. In addition, LAN Airlines and TAM Airlines recently opened their new Salon VIP, which at 23,000 square feet is billed as the largest VIP lounge in South America. It features a hot and cold buffet, 10 showers, laundry and shoe-shining services, among other amenities.