Chile’s Ministry of Public Works (MOP) has handed over the new passenger terminal at Balmaceda Airport, developed under the Red Aeroportuaria Austral concession, in the Aysén Region of Chile.

The concession project involved the construction of a 12,391 m² passenger terminal at Balmaceda Airport, along with five new boarding bridges, aircraft movement areas and parking facilities. As part of the “Southern Airport Network” concession—the first concessioned project of its kind in the region—the initiative also provides six parking positions for commercial aircraft, 13 for general aviation and 100 vehicle parking spaces. The new terminal has been designed to meet high safety and energy-efficiency standards.

Additional works include improvements to aircraft movement areas and airport access infrastructure. The project is also being complemented by MOP works to modernise the movement area and install an air-navigation aid system designed to support aircraft approaches and landings in low-visibility conditions, helping reduce flight disruptions caused by adverse weather. The concession forms part of the Red Aeroportuaria Austral, which covers improvements to both Balmaceda Airport and Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Airport in Punta Arenas. Earlier project documentation specified the construction of the new Balmaceda terminal, five boarding bridges, a new electrical substation, access roads, parking facilities, an expanded commercial aircraft apron and a new taxiway.

The new terminal was handed over for provisional service in August 2026, with the MOP expecting the new facilities and technologies to be fully operational for passengers from October 1, 2026. The government said the infrastructure is intended to strengthen regional connectivity, tourism and economic activity in Aysén.