Six new air conditioning units came into operation in the National Boarding Room. The capacity of each equipment is five tons of refrigeration, with which an additional 30 tons were achieved; These activities correspond to Phase 3 of the Action Plan that structured the Concession to reduce the thermal load of the passenger terminal.
The Aeropuertos de Oriente SAS Concession reported that it increased by 50% the capacity of the current air conditioning system of the National Boarding Lounge of the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Santa Marta.
“On July 25, six additional air conditioning units came into operation, each with five tons of refrigeration, in this area of the passenger terminal. This means that we provide 30 more Tons of Refrigeration, the already existing 61 of the air conditioning system. The National Boarding Lounge already has 91 Tons that provide better comfort for passengers and airport users”, explained Nelson Rodríguez Cruz, Manager of Aeropuertos de Oriente SAS.
Although initially there were five teams, the Concession decided to increase them to six, in order to guarantee a better ambient temperature and thermal sensation inside the National Boarding Room.
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“Despite the thermal sensations that reach up to 45°C in external areas of Santa Marta, the measurements we have made, since the entry into operation of these new equipment, have shown us temperatures between 24°C and 26°C , that is, we managed to reduce the temperature inside the National Boarding Room by 5°C more”, highlighted Nelson Rodríguez Cruz.
It is important to remember that the installation of this equipment corresponds to Phase 3 of the Action Plan to reduce the thermal load of the passenger terminal. Said program began to be structured from December 2021given the unexpected growth in passengers that was perceived at the end of that year and that was ratified in 2022 at the end with a higher record to 3.8 million passengers, when, according to the design of the terminal, its installed capacity was up to three million passengers per year.
“Phase 1 focused on the maintenance and change of air conditioning equipment to make it 100% functional. Said equipment was affected by its shutdown during the Covid 19 pandemic. The stage was completed between the year 2022 and the first months of 2023. Currently, the air conditioners remain on during the airport’s operating hours, that is, between 6:00 a.m. am, and 12:00 am, operating at its maximum capacity”, reiterated the Manager of Aeropuertos de Oriente SAS
Phase 2 was executed between June 15 and 23, 2023, when settling nanoceramic films with UV filters on more than 390 m2 of terminal windowswith which the heat generated by the sun’s rays was reduced by 65% and which is received during most of the day, between 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm, especially in the National Boarding Room.
Phase 4 of the Plan
Currently, the Concession has an expansion project underway, in the short term for the air terminal. The initiative has been developed hand in hand with the Civil Aeronautics, the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) and the Supervision of the Concession Contract, a project that is already advancing in the detailed design phase, prior to the start of the construction of the works.
“The scope of the project is as follows: the first and second floors will be expanded by approximately 1,000 m2 on the northwestern side of the terminal, on the terrace that is currently unused on this side of the passenger terminal. Additionally, the National Boarding Room will be expanded, almost doubling its area (1,300 additional m2), which will be built on the current cargo area (first floor warehouses). Added to this, a mezzanine will be built in the central part of the existing National Boarding Room, which will function as a third floor in an approximate area of 1,200 m2. With this, the installed capacity for passenger care would be increased, contributing to a significant improvement for their accommodation and comfort in a total of 2500 m2. The area of the terminal building will go from 15,413 m2 to 19,155 m2, which, with all these optimizations, will increase the processing capacity and management of passengers in the air terminal, but additionally the comfort and satisfaction of users”, explained the senior executive. .
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As part of this project, one of the milestones most important is the increase in the capacity of the air conditioning system (air conditioning). During the execution of the works, new equipment will be installed that will ostensibly optimize the air conditioning of the existing and projected surfaces, with which the perception of cold air will improve notably for passengers and the airport community.
Finally, Aeropuertos de Oriente SAS, reiterates its total commitment to the city and the department, as well as to the millions of users who arrive and leave each year Santa Marta and the Magdalena by terminal air Simón Bolívar, so that your stay in the facilities is pleasant and the airport becomes the great gateway to this beautiful region of Colombia.