News

Tocumen International Airport continues to upgrade the services it offers passengers arriving in Panama.

The latest twist is a “sensory room,” a lounge specifically designed to support neurodiverse individuals. The space offers a calm and safe environment for passengers living with autism, dementia, or other conditions related to sensory processing.

The new multi-sensory lounge is located in the building connecting Terminals 1 and 2. It is equipped with soft lighting, ergonomic furniture, sensory toys, and interactive panels. These elements aim to reduce the stress and anxiety that can arise from the bustling and highly stimulating environments of an airport, allowing travelers to relax before or after their flight, as coverage in La Prensa notes.

That may seem like a small thing, but at least 2% of the world’s population has sensory conditions that require specific adaptations, according to the World Health Organization. This new space will benefit not only passengers but also their families and companions, who will now have a place to prepare for the flight in a calm and welcoming environment, airport managers say.

“Our mission is to offer a people-centered airport experience,” said José Ruiz Blanco, general manager of Tocumen International Airport. “With the opening of this sensory room, we reaffirm our commitment to making transit through Tocumen more accessible, less stressful, and more humane for all passengers, while deeply thanking the team that made this project possible.”

Tocumen officials note the sensory room joins other “inclusion initiatives” already implemented at Tocumen Airport, “such as accessible signage, adapted restrooms, ramps, and priority assistance during boarding.” The airport is making an effort to be more inclusive and address “the diverse needs of its users.”

Tocumen now serves 85 destinations in the Americas and Europe via 13 commercial airlines. In 2024, the airport handled 19.2 million passengers, with an average daily flow of 54,000 people between its two terminals, La Prensa reports.