I know that many of our travelers have been worried about the devastating situation in Chile after the crippling earthquake on February 27. We’ve been in touch with our regional associates, including Regional General Manager for Argentina, Magdalena Zoroza, and Program Services Manager of Chile, Paula Rivera, and they’ve shared their updates on our travelers, Trip Leaders, and Program Directors, and communicated plans to continue to travel to the area here ...
Our Chile Update
By Magdalena Zoroza, Regional General Manager for Argentina & Paula Rivera, Program Services Manager of Chile
In light of the recent 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile, we wanted to take a moment to update our travelers on the situation in the region, our actions towards ensuring the safety of our travelers, and our plans to continue traveling to the area.
Our number one concern is the safety of our associates and travelers. When the earthquake hit Chile on February 27, our offices in Argentina and Chile responded to the earthquake with exceptional speed and quality.
At the time of the quake, 19 of our groups were in Chile and Argentina. Two groups were in Santiago: Grand Circle’s Discover South America: Chile & Argentina (that departed on February 23 with 34 travelers) vacation and OAT’s The Wilderness Beyond: Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego & the Chilean Fjords (that departed on February 25 with six travelers) adventure.
The first thing we did once the initial earthquake settled was contact our Trip Leaders and Program Directors in the region to ensure that all of them were safe and accounted for—and all family and friends were contacted by the end of the day on February 28. We also met with both groups in Santiago on Monday, and although some expressed initial fear and shock, most were grateful for the personal attention we provided. They shared that they had their Trip Leaders and Program Directors with them at all times and were given updated information as soon as it was available.
We’d like to also alleviate any fear from travelers scheduled to travel to Chile or Argentina in the near future: The areas we travel on our trips are fine. Puerto Varas, Punta Arenas, and Torres del Paine barely felt the earthquake and are operating normally with running water and transport services.
Conditions are slowly returning to normal in the areas of Chile that were affected. Electricity and water in Santiago are at about 80% supply, and banks and supermarkets are open as well.
At this time, the major issue in the area is the limited number of flights coming in and out of the country. Santiago International Airport suffered significant damage to its ceilings and terminal area, however the runway was not affected. Since the earthquake, the airport has been closed to all but military operations, however a two-phase restoration plan for airline service has been put into place.
During Phase One, which begins today (March 3-6), domestic flights will arrive and depart between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. through temporary tent facilities at the airport. International flights will arrive and depart from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and all international arrivals will go through another airport to clear immigration and customs before traveling to Santiago.
Phase Two is scheduled to begin on March 6—when the airport will return to normal—still operating through temporary facilities at the airport. International arrivals will no longer needed to travel through another airport in order to depart from the country.
Our teams here in Chile and Argentina, as well as our Trip Leaders and Program Directors, have done a tremendous job in taking care of our travelers and communicating issues and actions during this critical time. We are very proud of their quick response and devotion to the safety of our travelers. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide the most updated information as it becomes available.