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).
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. "
In the event of not reaching an agreement with the current concessionaire, the government of Honduras is planning alternatives.
The Commission for the Promotion of Public-Private Partnerships (Coalianza) has a period of 10 days in which to reach an agreement with InterAirports SA (IASA) on the renegotiation of the technical and financial model for the construction of Palmerola, which they have been unable to finalize for the last five months.
The extension of the contract with Airports of Honduras until 2040 is subject to a $300 million investment including the construction of a new terminal at Palmerola.
The current contract is for 25 years and expires in 2020, the extension until 2040 must be submitted to the Honduran Congress for approval.
Public Works Minister, Miguel Pastor told the press, "We want an international airport in Comayagua (Palmerola) that does not have the problems of size and safety that Toncontin (Tegucigalpa) has, and for this, investment is being made in improving the road network to the area and facilitating the flow of trade and passengers. But we do not have the resources to build the new airport and with the concession we are able to do that. "
The Honduran government is awaiting the results of a feasibility study before beginning the project.
The president of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo, reiterated the government's intention to remodel the Palmerola commercial airport, also known as Soto Cano in order to replace the International Airport, Toncontin.
Lobo indicated that they are waiting for a technical study that is being conducted by a Spanish company, with which they can determine the feasibility of the project and analyze the proposal that has already been received from the builder.
Interairports company representatives have announced the investment after receiving approval for the project from the Porfirio Lobo government.
The company holding the concession to operate Honduran airports expects the works at Palmerola to be completed by the end of 2013, for which they will need to begin as soon as possible after finalizing the necessary paperwork with the government.
The $15 million first stage will be developed by the company that holds concessions for Honduran airports, backed by Chinese and Chilean investors.
Honduran president, Porfirio Lobo, announced that the first stage of the Palmerola airport development will be inaugurated in 2013 with a four-lane fast access road because, in his words, "an airport without fast highway access doesn't work".
Singapore will provide financial assistance to conduct studies for the construction of the new Palmerola Airport.
The deal was agreed during the official visit of Honduran president, Porfirio Lobo Sosa, to the Asian island.
The head of the Ministry of Public Works, Transportation and Housing of Honduras, Miguel Pastor, a member of the official delegation, said, "We completed the signing of a memorandum of understanding with strong support from Singapore in the construction planning phase of the new terminal in the sector of Palmerola Comayagua," reports Laprensa.hn.
InterAirports authorities, Tegucigalpa airport concessionaire, announced the availability of funds for its construction.
Edgardo Maradiaga, head of Honduran Airports, added that construction of a highway to the airport should be a settled matter before the new terminal is built.
"He stated that there is the possibility of extending the concession contract, which for the past 10 years has reshaped the country's air terminals, to operate the new airport but appropriate channels given by the law must be followed," reported Latribuna.hn.
President Porfirio Lobo announced the upcoming habilitation of the air base in Comayagua as a commercial airport.
He added that the feasibility of the project relies on the construction of a highway linking Comayagua with Tegucigalpa.
The Honduran President also explained that the project would be developed as a public/private initiative, in which works on the airport would be done as the highway project progresses.