In Guatemala, according to the air transport union, the project of the new cargo airport to be developed in the Port of San Jose, Escuintla, is unfeasible in operational and commercial terms.
Since American Airlines, Aeromexico, United Airlines and Spirit announced that they will delay their return to the country until April, local businessmen have given up hope that air connectivity will improve in the coming weeks.
Six international airlines operate in Nicaragua, but currently only Copa and Avianca are flying. The remaining four have postponed their return and according to their latest announcements, they would return until April.
The constant resurgence of covid-19, the closure of international markets and the loss of consumer confidence, postpone the beginning of the recovery of the air industry, a process that is predicted to be long in the context of the new business reality.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in this context of business and economic crisis in a large number of countries at the global level, there is no evidence of strong growth in global demand for cargo and its progress continues to be an extraordinary challenge for airlines.
As of June 16, El Salvador will begin the gradual opening of logistics services at the Cargo Terminal at the Oscar Romero Airport, and the re-establishment of commercial flights is scheduled to begin on August 6.
As part of the return to the new normal, after eliminating the restrictions imposed by the covid-19 outbreak, the Autonomous Port Executive Commission (CEPA) informed that the Cargo Terminal of the "San Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdamez" International Airport will begin with the gradual reopening of its export and import logistics services under strict biosecurity protocols.
In El Salvador, authorities decided that commercial flights at the Oscar Romero International Airport will be suspended for the next three weeks due to the health alert the country is facing.
The decision was announced by the Autonomous Executive Port Commission (CEPA), and details that this is part of the compliance with the state of emergency and Executive Decree No. 12, due to the covid-19 pandemic.
The company of Chilean origin Latam Cargo began operations in the country and will offer its services on Tuesdays and Thursdays to cover the Miami-Panama-Bogotá route.
Directors of Tocumen International Airport informed that the refueling and cargo movement service offered by Latam Cargo will be operated with a Boeing 763 aircraft.
Raffoul Arab, general manager of Tocumen International Airport, explained to Prensa.com that "...
Building specialized docks for the auxiliary marine industry and increasing the capacity to deliver quickly by air are some of the challenges that Panama will face in the coming years.
The Panamanian economy depends heavily on the logistics sector, but currently faces new challenges because of the increasing competition from other regional players who offer better costs in managing cargo on a large scale.
In 2017, air exports totaled 33 thousand tons, of which 59% corresponded to perishable cargo and the remaining 41% to non-perishable cargo.
The Guatemalan Association of Exporters reported that "...The United States continues to be the main destination for air exports, however markets have gradually diversified."
A year after the arrival of a company that promised to offer air cargo services from Enrique Jiménez airport, authorities have not yet approved its operating certificate.
Prensa.com reports that "...This wait has cost the company more than $1.2 million between payroll payments and rental of the air terminal (about $4 thousand a month), not counting the cost of leasing the Antonov 26 aircraft.With this aircraft, the company will transport cargo from and to the Colón Free Zone to 20 routes in Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean."
The number of air routes operating between Panama and Europe grew by 62% between 2013 and 2016, and the number of passengers in transit increased from 373,000 to 735,000 in the same period.
The main European destinations that could be flown to from Panama a few years ago were Paris, Madrid and Amsterdam, but recently new routes to cities such as Istanbul and Frankfurt have been added.Figures from Tocumen International Airport show that the number of passengers traveling to and from the European continent has grown steadily in recent years, as has the number of aircraft that fly.
As of March 14, flights between the two countries will be considered domestic, simplifying and expediting migration and freight procedures.
With the entry into force of the Regulation for the Development of Air and Airport Operations, flight frequencies between airports in Honduras and Guatemala will have the characteristics of domestic flights.
It has been announced that the company Transporte Aéreo de Carga del Caribe will start operations in the hitherto uninhabited Enrique A. Jimenez airport in Colon.
The airport built during the Martinelli administration was initially designed for cargo and tourism, but did not manage to attract service operators in any of these activities. Now the arrival has been announced of a company that will provide cargo transport services at the terminal, which will start operations once the necessary procedures for obtaining aeronautical certifications have been completed.
The new rate recorded reductions in charges for landing, approach, lighting, boarding bridges, buses and other infrastructure, while the rate per kilo of cargo has risen to $0.0076.
From a statement issued by the Regulatory Authority for Public Services of Costa Rica (ARESEP):
The Regulatory Authority for Public Services, through the Administration of Transport, approved cuts in rates for aeronautical services provided at the Juan Santamaria International Airport (sJIA).
Changes are being made to control processes and clearance of cargo carryied by commercial aircraft at the La Aurora international airport.
From a statement issued by the Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT):
Air cargo arriving at La Aurora International Airport and which is shipped aboard scheduled commercial passenger flights, now has better customs controls applied by the staff at the loading and unloading area of the Air Express customs office of the Administration Superintendency Tax.
An announcement has been made of the opening of a new daily nonstop flight for international freight traveling to and from San Jose International Airport.
From a press release issued by Fedex Express:
MIAMI (Florida) August 28, 2014 - FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the company of the world's largest express transportation today announced the arrival on 4 August of the first FedEx cargo plane Boeing Express- 757F- to Costa Rica in order to provide a direct service for international shipments. Formerly served by smaller aircraft, the growing Costa Rican market is being leveraged with increased capacity and the best collection schedules in the market, with next day delivery to Miami and the rest of the United States.