By Ricardo J. Delpiano
changes in air transport to Chile has imposed new challenges to the Chilean airports, whose infrastructure has been overwhelmed in most cases the increase in air operations, thereby increasing the flow of passengers and tonnes of cargo. Implementing new business strategies from 2006 by lines, coupled with a better national economy have been key factors that have contributed to this increase.
Although the increase in passenger traffic has outpaced the ability of some airports, the airport network National received a good evaluation by users. Photo: Alejandro Ruiz
To meet new challenges, the State of Chile began a few years ago the second round of concessions from the major airports and airfields in the country, which shall objective of ensuring adequate infrastructure to support the growth forecast for the coming years. Some like Chacalluta in Arica, Iquique Diego Aracena, El Puerto Montt Tepual have been expanded, others are in works such as Carlos Ibañez del Campo in Punta Arenas or initiating the award phase as in For Calama, while other airports - including Santiago-waiting their turn in the works.
whereas the volume of passengers increases well above the growth of infrastructure, most domestic airports are seeing faced crowds that affect the transit of passengers but also the daily operations of the airlines.
Santiago Airport is a clear reflection of this situation and despite the current dealer is running mitigation works in part by delayed reconstruction after the earthquake of last year, the country's main air terminal has been surpassed in its initial capacity, placing an urgent challenge for the coming years, although not before 2016 would not be a new terminal as the master plan that occurred in late 2009. Meanwhile an immediate solution would come from a positive outcome of the talks that the current licensee and the Ministry of Public Works are underway, which could open the option of carrying out expansion works in the short term.
Despite being with a capacity exceeded, most domestic airports received a good rating as established " First Study of Satisfaction and Quality of Service " that applied at the terminals during 2010. In it, the 10 domestic airports concession obtained an average rating of 5.6 on a scale of 1-7, where the best was the airport of Puerto Montt Tepual received a note from 6.1, while the worst was the Calama with a score of 5. Santiago Airport despite its complications was the note of 5.8.
notes "good" obtained by air terminals reflect the perception that users have on issues such as services, building cleaning, care, aspects that are visible to the user. If the evaluation considered the opinions of technical personnel airlines operating results may differ slightly from report due to the appreciation that these perform different facilities.
At the airport in Santiago, 88.9% of domestic passengers described the facilities as good or very good. " The percentage of this value drops to 80.8% in the case of foreign users and user not traveling (81.3%). For the international sector, the percentage of persons living in Chile that qualified as "good or very good" terminal was 78.5%, compared with 83% of persons living abroad who felt similarly .
The Government of Chile has decided to use this study to define future standards, implement management measures at terminals that are also an incentive to achieve continuous improvement. In this regard the improvement plan proposed by the MOP down reviewed the current status of the aspects evaluated poorly in existing concessions making and management measures (for example, review the equipment and safety signs), as well as review and adjustment of Operating Manuals and Service Regulations. The new concessions in El Loa (Calama) and Cerro Moreno (Antofagasta) incorporate aspects of poor relieved by users looking interior improvements, parking and facilities. These would also be applied in tenders for Arturo Merino Benitez and Florida de La Serena. The two airports in the II region have introduced explicit requirements in their contracts benefits and services, in areas such as cleanliness, preservation of infrastructure, availability of equipment, among others.
The application of studies like this and the commitment by the authorities to comply with the recommendations identified for future projects that are underway or planned, demonstrate unwavering commitment to the country's authorities and the Government of Chile has taken to find a solution to a key element of national infrastructure, which is essential to achieve one of the objectives proposed by the current administration to make Chile the necessary tools to achieve development.
0 comments:
Post a Comment