Panama puts into operation the most modern airport terminal in the region

Posted on 2022-07-11

Panama put into operation today its new passenger Terminal 2 at the Tocumen International Airport with which it intends to serve more than 15 million travelers annually, becoming the most important airport in the Central American region and known as the Hub of the Americas.

The new T2 is a building with 20 boarding gates that has the installed capacity to mobilize up to 10 million additional passengers per year: the airport infrastructure has an investment of US$917 million. The new work, which increases the operational capacity of the Tocumen International Airport to 54 boarding gates and 12 remote aircraft parking positions, facilitates connections between continents with flights to more than 80 different destinations in America and Europe.

The Panamanian airline Copa Airlines becomes the first to fully offer airport services from the new T2, and later KLM, United Airlines and Air France will do so, respectively, the Tocumen administration reported.

Flight 214 of the Panamanian Copa Airlines from Guayaquil (Ecuador), was the first operation, whose passengers were completely processed in modern facilities.

Airport authorities reported that, on this day, Copa Airlines is scheduled to process passengers corresponding to 283 arrival and departure flights, of which 6,487 are travelers entering or emigrating from the country. In total, more than 36,935 people from Copa Airlines leave or arrive at Tocumen International Airport on this date.

Likewise, all passengers on domestic and international Copa Airlines flights with origin or final destination in Panama City must go through the check-in, immigration, security, baggage claim and customs processes, as appropriate, in the new and modern facilities. of Terminal 2, regardless of the gate at which your flight departs or arrives, the company added in a statement.

The General Manager of the air terminal, Raffoul Arab, said that "despite the breaches of the contractor, we have carried out the work that is the pride of Panamanians." He explained "that in addition to its modern facilities, amenities and unmatched air connectivity, the new T2 has the logistical efficiency and security to continue strengthening the competitiveness of Panama with an airport infrastructure of world-class capacity."

Arab specified that "the new T2 will serve at the same time as a potential global showcase for commercial brands, where they have the opportunity to offer their products to millions of people from different parts of the world. —In the Duty Free area we have allocated 150 spaces for stores and 50 for the food court in an area that exceeds 12,900 m²". He assured that the Immigration and Customs areas of Terminal 2 triple the installed capacity in the current Terminal 1 (T1).

Meanwhile, the 21 commercial companies that currently operate at the Tocumen International Airport have transported 5,996,284 million passengers from January to May of this year, compared to the 2,348,464 registered in the same period of 2021, that is, through the air terminal they have passed 3 million 647,082 additional travelers in the first 5 months of this year.

In terms of access, the main feature of the new airport is a station on Line 2 of the Panama Metro still under construction, 1,426 parking lots for cars (of which 700 will be temporarily free), tourist taxi service, Metro Bus routes, Free cellphone parking and direct access through the boulevard that connects with the South Corridor.

The modern baggage transfer, verification, organization and delivery system between Terminal 1 and 2 will be able to move up to 12,000 bags per hour compared to 1,800 in T1 through a BHS that has state-of-the-art security equipment that can detect if the baggage contains prohibited products or objects that may be dangerous.

Regarding its architectural design, T2 is a work of relevant architectural value that bears the seal of quality of the renowned British firm Foster and Partners. It is earthquake resistant, it has special systems of the latest technology.

Source: ANP Panama