Arturo Merino Benítez Airport (SCL) in Santiago celebrated a milestone in its 57 years of operation by reaching 25 million passengers transported in 2024, surpassing by 1.5% the previous record of 24.63 million set in 2019, prior to the pandemic.
The 25 millionth passenger, Mary Pérez, who arrived on a flight from Osorno, was welcomed at a ceremony led by Minister of Public Works Jessica López, Nuevo Pudahuel’s CEO Nicolas Claude, and representatives of LATAM Airlines, the Civil Aeronautics Board, and the DGAC.
«This airport is Chile’s gateway and the main hub for national and international transportation. We are very pleased to celebrate this milestone, which demonstrates the growth of the sector,» said Minister López, emphasizing the importance of the achievement as a reflection of economic recovery and the dynamism of air transportation in Chile.
Of the 25 million passengers, 13.6 million are domestic travelers, and 11.3 million are international travelers, with the latter segment experiencing the highest growth: 24.6% more than in 2023 and 10% above 2019 levels.
«We aim to continue increasing operations with more routes and airlines, consolidating Santiago as an internationally attractive destination, boosting tourism, business, and cargo transportation,» highlighted Nuevo Pudahuel’s CEO, Nicolas Claude.
With the holiday season approaching, between December 20 and January 2, 2025, it is projected that more than 1 million passengers will travel through the airport, closing the year with a total of 26 million passengers transported. Of this additional million, an estimated 548,480 passengers will travel within Chile, and 514,329 will head to international destinations.
The busiest days are expected to be December 26 and January 2, with 78,151 and 81,165 passengers, respectively.
Main destinations and airlines operating in Santiago
Minister López also highlighted infrastructure investments, including the new International Terminal and the expansion of the Domestic Terminal, which will be fully operational in 2025. These improvements ensure the capacity to handle the growing passenger flow and strengthen the role of the Santiago Airport as a key connection hub in the region.
Among the main destinations, domestic highlights include Calama (73,857 passengers), Antofagasta (68,634), and Puerto Montt (65,454). Internationally, leading destinations are Buenos Aires (70,255), Lima (68,073), and São Paulo (56,781).
- Aerolíneas Argentinas: Buenos Aires and Mendoza.
- Aeromexico: Mexico City (seasonal).
- Air Canada: Toronto (seasonal).
- Air France: Paris/Charles de Gaulle.
- American Airlines: Dallas/Fort Worth (seasonal) and Miami.
- Arajet: Punta Cana.
- Avianca: Bogotá, Cartagena (seasonal), and Medellín/Rionegro (seasonal).
- British Airways: London/Heathrow.
- Copa Airlines: Panama City.
- Delta Air Lines: Atlanta.
- Iberia: Madrid.
- JetSMART:
- International Destinations: Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Cali, Florianópolis, Foz do Iguaçu, Lima, Medellín, Mendoza, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, and Trujillo.
- Domestic Destinations: Antofagasta, Balmaceda, Calama, Concepción, Iquique, La Serena, Puerto Montt, and Temuco.
- KLM: Amsterdam and Buenos Aires/Ezeiza.
- LATAM:
- International Destinations: Asunción, Auckland, Belo Horizonte, Bogotá, Brasília, Buenos Aires/Aeroparque, Buenos Aires/Ezeiza, Cancún, Mexico City, Córdoba, Curitiba, Cusco, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Guayaquil, Falkland Islands, La Paz, Lima, Los Angeles, Madrid, Mendoza, Miami, Montevideo, New York, Orlando, Porto Alegre, Punta Cana, Punta del Este (seasonal), Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, San Carlos de Bariloche (seasonal), Santa Cruz de la Sierra, São Paulo, and Sydney.
- Domestic Destinations: Antofagasta, Arica, Balmaceda, Calama, Castro, Concepción, Copiapó, Iquique, Easter Island, La Serena, Osorno, Puerto Montt, Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas, Temuco, and Valdivia.
- LEVEL: Barcelona.
- Qantas: Sydney.
- SKY Airline:
- International Destinations: Belo Horizonte (seasonal), Bogotá, Buenos Aires/Aeroparque, Buenos Aires/Ezeiza, El Calafate (seasonal), Florianópolis, Lima, Mendoza, Montevideo, Porto Alegre (seasonal), Rio de Janeiro, Salvador (seasonal), San Carlos Bariloche (seasonal), and São Paulo.
- Domestic Destinations: Antofagasta, Arica, Balmaceda, Calama, Castro, Concepción, Copiapó, Iquique, La Serena, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Osorno, Temuco, and Valdivia.
- Turkish Airlines: Istanbul and São Paulo/Guarulhos.
- United Airlines: Houston (seasonal).
