Brasilia Airport looks to improve mobility for those leaving the airport

Photo credit: Aeroporto de Brasilia

Inframerica, the administrator of Brasilia Airport, has begun work on its newest project: Praça Pick-up. 

Praça Pick-up, will be a complex in front of the terminal providing passengers with greater convenience to leave the airport and aims to unburden traffic on the roads surrounding the airport and improve vehicle flow.

The space will have an exclusive zone for the passenger to request and wait for transportation by apps, thus ensuring more comfort and safety to board vehicles. Vans, buses and rental cars will also pick up users in the new area. In addition, the complex will feature restaurants, bars, shops, a children’s playground, car rental lounges, ATMs, shared bicycle services, artwork and even cultural events.

The new complex will cover part of the area where the Premium Parking of Brasília Airport currently is, in front of the terminal.

Inframerica Commercial Director, Ian Joels, said the new venture will bring significant improvements to the passenger: “With the new vehicle access roads, we will significantly decrease the flow on the terminal’s embarkation and disembarkation routes.”

According to Joels, approximately 1.4 million shared vehicles travel around the airport each year looking for passengers. This large concentration of cars is causing congestion and discomfort to users. He said: “We want our passengers to have the best experience at our airport and this should also happen when arriving and leaving the terminal.”

This new work aims to end the crowding of cars that stop on the roads to pick up passengers. Joels continued: “Even with 15 lanes on the upper and lower lanes, the lanes end up jammed. At Pick-Up Square one lane will be exclusive for application transportation and another for vans and rental vehicles. With this new project, we will improve traffic.”

Ride hailing through applications appeared less than three years ago and is responsible for more than one million vehicles in Brasília Airport per year. “The airports were not prepared to increase this demand for vehicles. It is a modern problem and we study hard to find a solution. We developed this square to improve the flow at the airport and bring comfort to our users. This new complex will organise the traffic and will improve shipments and arrivals at the terminal, ” explained Joels.

Dropping off passengers remains the same as before as taxis already have an exclusive area and will meet at the same location. 

For Joels, Pick-up Square will be a service not only for passengers, but also for Brazilians. He explained: “We want the square to be a place of conviviality. We will offer the resident of Brasilia and the tourists who come to the capital another entertainment alternative in the city with exclusive services, comfortable spaces, cultural square with works of art, exhibitions and little events. We are in talks with brands in Brasilia that will bring not only passengers to the place, but also residents of the city to enjoy the services we will offer, our idea is to innovate the way the air terminal space is allocated, generating new motivations for people to enjoy the airport beyond the rush of travel.” 

The space will have 8,000m² of area and Inframerica is investing approximately R$15 million in the development of the complex. Works are expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2020.