It is the third terminal opened by the government, which aims to create a network of 8 airfields to encourage the development of tourism in different parts of the country.
Tela airfield in the coastal department of Atlantis, has one runway measuring 1,600 meters and is now able to receive flights by smaller aircraft. The tourism private sector expects that increased air connectivity will boost development in the area.
The government has announced that is preparing the specifications of a international tender for the construction of the first stage of the project, in the amount of $107 million.
For the second time, the Honduran government has made changes to the bidding rules for the construction of the airport in Comayagua. The first phase will cost $107 million and will be built on the Enrique Soto Cano base in Palmerola.
The cancellation of the current lease and Spain's agreement to use funds from debt restructuring, have enabled a new tender for the construction and operation of the Honduran airport.
The construction project includes a new airport runway with a length of 2,440 meters for the operation of commercial vessels which are widebodied and without any restrictions and low restrictions for long-haul destinations.
Currently being contemplated is the possibility of canceling the contract for the construction and management of the airport, awarded in January, and putting out a new tender for the procedure.
Due to the fact that airport safety in the country is now the responsibility of the government, the Commission for the Promotion of Public Private Partnerships (Coalianza) has announced that they are studying the possibility of canceling the contract which was awarded to Saisa, which included the management of security, and instead launching a new tender which would remove the issue of security from the contract.
The airstrip in the tourist town was renovated so that it can receive for two weekly flights from La Ceiba.
After 10 years without operating, the airfield has reopened and will receive direct flights from La Ceiba arriving on Mondays and Fridays operated by Línea Aérea Nacional de Honduras, S.A. (Lanhs, S.A.). With the opening of the airfield it is expected that there will be an increase in the flow of tourists to the region, which already gained favor since cruise ships starting docking in the port in the Bay of Trujillo.
A subsidiary of Terra Group will be responsible for the design, financing, construction, and maintenance and operation of the International Airport at Palmerola.
From a press release issued by the Commission for the Promotion of Public-Private Partnerships:
The Commission for the Promotion of Public Private Partnerships (COALIANZA) has awarded to Constructora de Servicios Aeroportuarios Integrados S.A.(SAISA), the Contract for the Design, Financing, Construction, Maintenance and Operation of Palmerola International Airport, which will be located in the city of Comayagua, on the road axis between Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.
The company which is already operating other airports in Honduras was the only one to provide a technical and financial proposal for the award.
The Honduran company Servicios Aeroportuarios Integrados S.A. (Saisa), a subsidiary of Terra Group, submitted the technical and financial offer after being shortlisted along with the consortium of Colombian origin Concay SA, who ultimately decided not to present a proposal for the construction of the new terminal.
After a process that has gone on for several years in Honduras the start of the opening of bids for the concession of the international airport in Comayagua has begun.
Laprensa.hn reports: "The Commission for the Promotion of Public-Private Partnerships (Coalianza) announced the opening of public hearings for the contract with an investor interested in building Palmerola international airport."
The opening of bids for Palmerola, scheduled for November, has been postponed at the request of two of the companies interested in building the airport.
"The deadline for Palmerola was put back to late September at the request of one of the bidders, but we have had a request from another bidder who is asking for more time. We will evaluate if indeed it is worth extending the deadline, which could be moved to November," said Jose Antonio Pineda, chief of the Commission for the Promotion of Public-Private Partnerships (Coalianza).
In terms of how modern the infrastructure for air transport is, Panama leads the field, followed distantly by Costa Rica.
"None of the airports in Central America comes close to knocking Tocumen off its number one position in the ranking by Skytrax, nor the ranking by the World Economic Forum. The latter measures the quality of infrastructure for air travel in the country , where Panama climbed from 38th place in 2007 to last year reach the prestigious position of sixth place," reported Elsalvador.com.
With an investment of $270 million plans are underway to build a runway at Aeródromo Río Amarillo, and reconstruction of the Chamelecón road up to the border of Ocotepeque.
"... A decree has been passed authorizing the execution of a trust agreement for the project entitled "Financing, Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Aeródromo Río Amarillo in the municipality of Santa Rita in Copan", reported Laprensa.hn.
The infrastructure in most airports in Central America can not cover the increase in the number of air passengers transiting in the region.
In the region, traffic has increased by almost 80% over the last ten years going from 95 million to 170 million passengers. "Today, 30% of Latin American flights take off or land at congested airports, which constitutes one of the main difficulties in the development of the airline industry," noted an article in Eleconomista.net.
The company of Chinese origin, Harbour Engineering Company, has acquired the requirements to participate in the tender for the construction of Palmerola airport.
This company is the sixth to present itself before the Promotion of Public-Private Partnerships (Coalianza) to purchase the tender specifications for the project that will cost about $130 million in its first stage.
The Spanish consultancy company ALG is advising the Government of Honduras on the economic model and the contest rules for awarding Palmerola to a private operator.
Laprensa.hn reports that failure to reach an agreement with InterAirports has meant the resumption of the process "to define the economic model, how the bidding will be conducted and the nature of the contract between the state and the company that will finally take over the project. "
It is not only the ports on the South and East Coast of the U S that have to make provisions for the expansion of the Panama Canal.
Ports in the Caribbean and Latin America will also have a before and after the expansion of the Canal.
Post-Panamax ships require more depth in the access channels to ports and their docks, and this means adjustments to infrastructure need to be made early enough in order to stay in the market as shipping destination, after the inauguration of the new Canal in 2014.