Metropolitan Touring sends an update for Santiago airport. A contingency plan is in place. The first phase, from March 3 – 5, institutes the use of a tent for departing passengers. Gradually, domestic flights will depart from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM and international flights will depart from 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM.
All international flights arriving to Chile prior to March 5 will land at another domestic airport that is capable of carrying out immigration, SAG and Customs. Arrival flights after March 5 will be able to arrive into the Santiago Airport. All arrival procedures will be performed in a tent located in the western part of the air terminal.
Cascada Expeditions — our main Chile travel operator — continues to update their site with new information as it comes in. Most of their trips are operating as normal, with the only exception being access in and out of the Santiago Airport.
See below for their updates for March 2:
For those who asked us on how to send donations to help alleviating suffering in the earthquake affected zones these links can help:
– Chilean Red Cross: Taking care of the victims and assisting the Chilean health system in the area. http://www.cruzroja.cl/noticias/noticia_413.php
– Un Techo para Chile: Local organization focused on building semi-permanent shelters for those who lost their homes. http://www.untechoparachile.cl/static/comoColaborar/donations.html
If these pages do not open properly please be patient and try later as many people are trying to donate.
– Tue, March 2, 4:20 PM The Chilean National Aeronautical Authority announced that large tented structures have already been erected at the Santiago International Airport to facilitate passenger transit, which allowed gaining one day to re-initiate normal operations. http://www.cefaa.cl/noticias/ver_noticia.asp?id=2-3-2010-785
– Tue, March 2, 3:20 PM Air connection problems in Santiago are improving and we are expecting normal aeronautical operations from next Monday 8 March.
– Tue, March 2, 12:20 PM Cascada Expediciones & EcoCamp Patagonia travel services are running normally and safe. Yesterday our trekking classic 7day Torres del Paine W Trek started as scheduled and so will do this Wednesday the 5day Short-W Trek and the 9day Torres del Paine Circuit.
– Tue, March 2, 11:00 AM Phone lines at our Santiago main office are now working normally.
