Aeropuerto Arturo Merino Benítez (SCL)
Tel: (02) 690 1752 or 1753 (information).
Website: www.aeropuertosantiago.cl

Most flights to Santiago arrive at the Arturo Merino Benítez Airport located in the city's eastern suburb of Pudahuel, 25km (16 miles) northwest of the city. There are two terminals, international and domestic, and more than 6 million passengers pass through here every year on flights from all major cities in the Americas and Europe.

Approximate flight times to Santiago: From London is 20 hours; from New York is 10 hours; from Los Angeles is 16 hours; from Toronto is 17 hours and from Sydney is 18 hours.

Airport facilities: These include restaurants, bars, a post office, left luggage, tourist information, duty-free shops, boutiques, VIP lounges, a bureau de change and ATMs. There is a first-aid centre at the western end of the first floor of the International Terminal, with a fully equipped ambulance on 24-hour standby. Passengers in search of lost property should call the airport's helpline (tel: (02) 690 1707), open daily 0830-1730. Car hire is available from several companies, including Avis and Alamo.

Transport to the city: Tur-Bus (tel: 600 660 6600, in Chile only or (02) 601 9573; website: www.turbus.cl) operates shuttle buses that leave every 30 minutes from outside arrivals, stopping at city centre locations, including Los Héroes and Universidad de Santiago Metro stations. CentroPuerto (tel: (02) 601 9883 or 0549) offers a similar service but is slightly cheaper. Door-to-door mini-van transfers from airport to hotel are offered by TransVip (tel: (02) 677 3000) and TurTransfer (tel: (02) 677 3600). It is possible to find space in one of these mini-vans on arrival but advance booking is advisable. The airport's official taxi service (tel: (02) 690 1381) is available 24 hours a day. A trip to the downtown area should cost little more than US$15-20 (journey time - approximately 25 minutes, although it can take much longer due to traffic).