CAP remains committed to accommodating the “beursalen” in the new normal
Willemstad July 23, 2020 ̶ It is almost that time of the year again when our airport premises will serve as the center stage of an utmost crucial moment in the lives of many youngsters, who will be leaving families, friends and their beloved island as they embark on their further educational journey abroad in The Netherlands. This year, Curaçao Airport Partners (CAP) is preparing once again to assist on this big day while taking all safety measures related to the new normal into consideration. This year’s farewell for students departing for the Netherlands will be extra emotional with all the possible concerns of parents who are sending their children off into a world where we are unfortunately experiencing a life changing, historic moment due to this pandemic.
CAP has adapted its operations to the ‘new normal’ since the start of this pandemic. In order to make this day as easy for the families as we can, we have defined a setup which will adhere to the precautionary guidelines that belong to this new normal, while also providing families the time and space to say their goodbyes. It will be a regular business day for our airport, meaning that all regular operations will and must continue as usual. However, our personnel is well aware of the higher amount of persons that will be present and managing this crowd accordingly will be of utmost importance. Therefore, we hereby wish to inform all visitors and passengers and the family members of these departing students to take good note of the following changes we have implemented to accommodate the large group of visitors expected on this day.
Checking-in:
The check-in hall remains only accessible for the departing passengers, Therefore, besides regular passengers, it is only allowed for the students and the team of the SSC organization and Airport Community to be inside of the check-in hall. Thus, all parents and other family members must say goodbye to the youngsters outside on the airport boulevard. In this area, there will also be a coordinated effort to manage the crowd and ensure all goes well and safe. An exception to the rule on this day will be for the students who are underage, to be accompanied inside the check-in hall by only 1 parent or legal guardian. It is possible to start checking in from 11am. If a student checks in after 1pm, he/she cannot go back outside and must proceed to join the rest of the group upstairs in the waiting hall. Furthermore, as instructed to the students during a special virtual session to explain the guidelines, it is required for all passengers, including these students to wear a mask inside the airport facilities and strictly follow the airport health and safety guidelines.
Dropping-off/ Parking:
The drop-off lane will be strictly coordinated in order to ensure a smooth flow for all who need to drop-off their luggage. One of the drop-off lanes (the right-hand side) will be closed making it even more important for everyone to be quick when dropping off passengers as the spaces will be limited. We also wish to remind all to make use of the parking lot accordingly and avoid any inconveniences due to incorrect parking. We advise to make use of ‘carpooling’ as much as possible on this day. We advise not to park your car along the side on the FD Rooseveltweg as it may be towed away. You can make use of our parking lot to ensure your car is safe and from there you can also walk to the old lookout point (‘Mirador bieu’) to see the plane depart as the new lookout point (‘Mirador nobo’) remains closed since the start of the pandemic.
Arriving at the airport/Handbags:
We encourage all passengers to be on time to avoid any inconveniences. We strongly suggest all students to check in online in order to save time and avoid long queues. With regards to the main screening procedures, it is allowed to have a max of 12oz (350 milliliter) of hand sanitizer and keep all personal belongings and electrical devices in handbags or ‘carry-on’. Lastly, we kindly remind everyone to continue to keep yourselves and others safe by practicing physical distancing at all times on our premises.
We wish the departing students much success in this new phase of their lives. May you be enlightened with knowledge as you learn, grow and experience one of the greatest phases of your life. See you when coming back home for a well-deserved vacation!