Chile's Challenge by Laura Jackson

Not surprisingly, the Republic of Chile has been on my mind this week. An earthquake measuring 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale struck the country on February 27, shattering buildings, infrastructure (including airports) and lives. This earthquake comes on the heels of a devastatingly destructive earthquake in Haiti which I wrote about in mid-January.

Chile’s unique geography - the country measures 2,700 miles (4,300 kilometers) long, but at its widest point spans only 109 miles (175 kilometers) – makes for a unique air service profile. In addition, the Chilean territory includes several islands in the Pacific Ocean, the most famous of which is Easter Island.

Chile is home to 17 airports that offer scheduled commercial passenger service. Nearly 50 percent of Chile’s total flights operate to and from Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL) in the capital of Santiago. Antofagasta’s Cerro Moreno Airport (ANF), nearly 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) north of Santiago, ranks as Chile’s second-largest airport accounting for close to 10 percent of the country’s total flights.

Eighty percent of Chile’s air service is domestic, and 12 of Chile’s 17 airports only handle domestic flights. International service is limited to Chile’s remaining five airports, and not surprisingly, SCL is the primary international gateway for the country, accounting for over 70 percent of total international service. Nearly 30 cities in North and South America, Europe and New Zealand are connected with nonstop flights to Santiago. Other Chilean cities that have international links are located at the country’s extremes:
Arica: Chacalluta Airport (ARI) – The northernmost commercial service airport in Chile, just 11 miles (18 kilometers) south of the country’s border with Peru. Nonstop flights link Arica with La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, and Arequipa, Peru.
Punta Arenas: Presidente Carlos Ibanez del Campo International Airport (PUQ) – The southernmost commercial service airport in Chile has nonstop flights to two cities in Argentina (Ushuaia and Rio Gallegos) and Mt. Pleasant, Falkland Islands.
Iquique: Diego Aracena International Airport (IQQ) – Ranking as Chile’s third-busiest airport, Iquique is south of Arica. Iquique’s international links include flights to Lima, Peru; La Paz and Santa Cruz, Bolivia; and Salta, Argentina.
Easter Island: Mataveri International Airport (IPC) – One of the most isolated airports in the world, IPC is situated 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers) west of continental Chile. LAN is the only carrier to provide service – domestic service to Santiago (eight-times weekly) and twice-weekly international flights to Papeete, Tahiti. All service is operated with Boeing 767-300 aircraft.
Chilean-flag carrier LAN is the country’s largest airline, accounting for 70 percent of total flights. Sky Airline, a privately-held Chilean carrier, is the country’s second-largest carrier with a market share of 22 percent. The remaining eight percent of Chile’s air service is provided by 16 airlines.
Just prior to the earthquake, Chile was featured on the opening of the sixteenth season of the CBS reality series The Amazing Race. This is one of my favorite television shows (no explanation necessary), and I enjoyed the beauty and diverse landscapes of Chile as the contestants traveled from Santiago to Valparaiso and south to Patagonia. My sole complaint was that the teams competing in the race traveled by bus through Chile – not by plane!
Flight operations are back to approximately 60 percent of normal levels as repair work continues at Santiago’s airport. Our thoughts should continue to be with the people of Chile – and of Haiti – as they work to recover from this tragedy and rebuild their lives.
Source: Official Airline Guide (OAG) Schedule Tapes for February 2010, unless otherwise noted; rankings based on flight departures, unless otherwise noted; news reports.