<h2 class="blog-hed2 pb-lg-4 pb-3 text-lg-center">History Arturo Merino Ben&iacute;tez International Airport</h2>
<p class="blog-para">The demands of the growing metropolitan area of Santiago and the need for modern, jet-era airport facilities, which could safely accommodate both domestic and intercontinental flights, drove the need to relocate the Chilean capital's principal airport from Los Cerrillos Airport (ICAO: SCTI; IATA: ULC) in the denser southwest metropolitan region of Santiago to the more rural northwest metropolitan area.</p>
<p class="blog-para">Construction of the original terminal building, the eastern runway (17L/35R), control tower, east apron and cargo facilities commenced in 1961. On February 2, 1967, the airport was commissioned.</p>
<p class="blog-para">Aeropuerto Internacional de Pudahuel, due to its location in the municipality of Pudahuel. On March 19, 1980, the airport was rechristened Air Commodore Arturo Merino Ben&iacute;tez International Airport in honour of the founder of the Chilean Air Force and Chilean carrier LATAM Chile.</p>
<p class="blog-para">The facility was expanded in 1994 with a new international terminal that covered 90,000 square meters, inspired by the architecture of Marseille Provence Airport in France. The building is located between the two parallel runways. This expansion added a new control tower, jetways, a duty-free zone, hotel, and greater parking area. The old terminal was used for domestic flights until 2001, when all passenger operations were merged into the same building.</p>
<p class="blog-para">In 2000, Lan Chile joined Oneworld, making of Arturo Merino Benitez Airport a main hub for the alliance, its first one in Latin America and its second in the Southern Hemisphere (after Qantas' Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport in Australia). As of April 2014, 71% of international and 75% of domestic passengers were carried by Oneworld member airlines. During the 2010 Chile earthquake, the passenger terminal building suffered internal damages and the collapse of a pedestrian bridge between the vehicle ramp and the departures area. Nevertheless, both runways and control tower were unharmed, allowing the realization of a massive humanitarian air-bridge held by the Chilean Air Force to Concepci&oacute;n, Chile (Carriel Sur International Airport), close to the most damaged area by this earthquake and subsequent tsunami. The airport authority had closed off all commercial flight operations after around 1200 UTC on February 27, resuming full operations on March 3, 2010.</p>
<p><img class="img-fluid p-lg-0 rounded w-100" title="History Arturo Merino Ben&iacute;tez International Airport" src="../../../main/img/airport/arturo/a.webp" alt="History Arturo Merino Ben&iacute;tez International Airport"></p>
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<h2 class="blog-hed2 pb-lg-4 pb-3 pt-5">Transportation Arturo Merino Ben&iacute;tez International Airport</h2>
<p class="blog-para">Take a look at the available means of transport at SCL Airport:</p>
<ul class="blog-ul">
<li class="blog-li"><strong>Bus:</strong> A couple of different companies provide service from Santiago Airport: TurBus Aero Puerto and Centropuerto.</li>
<li class="blog-li"><strong>Taxi:</strong> Santiago Airport has introduced a controlled route system known as &ldquo;V&iacute;a Controlada&rdquo; that provides taxi service. Get within 45 minutes to downtown Santiago.</li>
<li class="blog-li"><strong>Car Rental:</strong> Rent a car in Santiago Airport and explore the area on your own. Check our search engine for further details!</li>
</ul>