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 current airport on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica is easily flooded and lacks the necessary conditions for being an international terminal.
The abundant rainfall characteristic of the area often causes waters to flood the runway of the international airport, leaving it inoperative.
Now, an area has been identified which is "a flat, large unobstructed area west of the current terminal which could have the necessary characteristics for the new project."
The upcoming opening of the International Airport of Rio Hato will enable large investments in the tourism industry, making an overall impact on the economy of the Panamanian province.
Prensa.com reports that "The start of operations next August of the international airport in the Central Provinces will pave the way for millions in investment in new hotels, shopping centers and residences, which in turn will generate hundreds of jobs, which will mark Rio Hato as a magnet for economic over and above that of Coronado. "
After failed negotiations with InterAirports, President Porfirio Lobo announced that in February 2013 a tender will be put out for the works.
The president added, "In the previous Cabinet meeting of ministers COALIANZA said they will put out a tender because an agreement could not be reached in direct negotiations with the current concessionaire."
The tender will be launched in February and it is expected that the works will be awarded about three months later.
In January 2013 the United Nations Program for Development will launch tenders for 78 projects on ports and airports in El Salvador.
The President of the Autonomous Executive Port Commission (CEPA) Alberto Arene and the Resident Coordinator of the UN System in El Salvador and Resident Representative of the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP) Roberto Valent, signed this Wednesday 31 October a Project Document entitled "Modernization Program and Strategic Asset Management of CEPA", which aims to contribute to the transformation of CEPA and its businesses and to help it utilise opportunities provided by technology and the business models for infrastructure, transport and logistics of the XXI Century.
If no agreement is reached with InterAirports, the concession for the new Honduran airport at Palmerola could be put out to tender.
So stated President Porfirio Lobo, who asked the Commission for the Promotion of Public-Private Partnerships (COALIANZA) to not let the project "go cold”. "[I hope] COALIANZA doesn’t let the subject of Palmerola go cold. I say that because a bidding process may have to be initiated if we are not able to negotiate with the concessionaire. We would initiate the process and somehow compensate the concessionaire for what the loss of the operation of Toncontín means to them. "
Discrepancies between the government and the concessionaire for Honduran airports has prevented the signing of the contract for adapting Palmerola to be the main airport in Honduras.
President Lobo’s aim for the new airport terminal to be opened in December 2013 will not be fulfilled, and it is also in doubt whether construction will start during his tenure.
The CABEI has approved loans for infrastructure work in ports and airports, and construction of prisons amounting to $92 million and $71 million respectively.
A statement from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) reads:
The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) has approved funding for the Autonomous Executive Port Commission (CEPA in Spanish) of the Republic of El Salvador for an amount of up to U.S.
A partnership has been formed between the Nicaraguan government and the Spanish group Barceló to build an international airport in the Montelimar resort, in San Rafael del Sur.
An article in Laprensa.com.ni reports that "The Government of Nicaragua and the Spanish hotel group Barceló have signed an agreement to build an international airport in the Montelimar resort, in the Pacific, officials said on Sunday.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has plans to build a new airport in Retalhuleu and to give international status to the Port of San José and Puerto Barrios.
An article in Elperiodico.com.gt reports that the plan was presented last Sunday by President Otto Perez Molina, who asked the auditor of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Armando Asturias, to go ahead with the project that could be starting in the first quarter of 2013.
Without ruling out the idea of building their own airport terminal, the airline will wait to see how the modernization works initiated by the Executive Port Commission (CEPA) evolve.
Fidel Chavez Mena, vice president and legal representative of TACA, said that after meetings with representatives from CEPA, they have agreed to wait and see how the financing of the works evolves.
Works on the adaptation and renovation of what will be the third international airport in Panama are 70% complete.
A statement by the Presidency of Panama reads:
President Ricardo Martinelli, with the Minister of Public Works, Jaime Ford, conducted an inspection of the construction area of the project to adapt and renovate the Scarlett Martinez airport and the tunnel on the Panamerican Highway which crosses the runway, a project that is the first of its kind in Latin America.
The opening of Palmerola as the main international airport in Honduras and the eventual closure of air operations in Toncontin has pushed the mayor and merchants of Tegucigalpa to the brink of war.
At a press conference, the City Mayor Ricardo Alvarez said that they would not allow Tegucigalpa to be left without an international airport. "We will defind this position just as we did about four years ago.
The government has announced the start of a process to attract investment for the construction of two new international airports.
The government's commitment is to build an airport for cargo in the Pacific coast, near the present Naval Base runway, in Puerto de San Jose, and one for tourists on the Atlantic coast, in the Database air Izabal.
The announcement was made by Vice President of the Republic, Roxana Baldetti, who added, "We're trying to do this using the Public-Private Partnership Act because the state does not have the resources to do it on its own and we are thinking that an investment of this nature could be made next year. "
The administrative entity from the International Airport of El Salvador is expecting a formal proposal from TACA airlines to build a new terminal.
The president of the Autonomous Executive Port Commission (Cepa), Alberto Arene, said that when they have received a formal proposal by the airline it will be studied and evaluated. A renovation plan for the terminal is currently being developed.