In El Salvador, the Autonomous Executive Port Commission announced that in 2022 it will determine the management model for the Pacific Airport and in 2023 it will begin construction.
Currently, the Feasibility Study is being developed by the International Consortium PEYCON - ALBEN 4000.
The partnership between Alutech and Munich AirPort won the competition to design, build and operate the Cargo Terminal at El Salvador's Oscar Romero Airport as a Public-Private Partnership.
Weeks ago, the Executive Port Commission (CEPA) informed that on August 26th of this year, the technical and economic offers were received, and the opening of the technical offers was carried out by the Evaluation Commission.
In El Salvador, 30 companies were prequalified to participate in the international competition for the elaboration of the feasibility study for the construction of the Pacific Airport.
A total of 44 national and foreign companies expressed interest and also completed the information required to participate in the international public bidding, informed the Executive Autonomous Port Commission (CEPA).
Restructuring of airlines, preference for direct flights, modifications in the routes operated and the use of smaller aircraft are some of the changes expected in the regional air market in the context of the new business normality.
Air traffic has virtually disappeared in the last three months, as governments in Central America have decided to close borders and suspend commercial flights to and from the region's airports as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
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.
March 13 is the new date for the receipt of bids in the tender for the financing contract, design, construction and operation of the works of the Cargo Terminal at El Salvador's Oscar Romero Airport, under the format of Public-Private Partnership.
The original call for bids set February 12 as the deadline for receipt of proposals, however, because several companies have expressed interest in participating, it was decided to postpone until March 13 the delivery of tenders.
El Salvador's business sector proposes that the administration of Oscar Romero International Airport should no longer be the responsibility of CEPA, and that a new state-owned company should take over.
In a document prepared during the 2019 National Meeting of Private Enterprise (Enade), the National Association of Private Enterprise (ANEP) proposes that the administration of the San Romero international airport be separated from the Executive Autonomous Port Commission (CEPA), before starting the concession process or operation under the modality of public-private partnership.
In El Salvador, the contract for the financing, design, construction and operation of the San Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport Cargo Terminal is tendered under the Public-Private Partnership format.
The project contemplates two phases of development: Phase 1 consists of financing, design, expansion, construction, equipment, improvement of maintenance and operation of the existing Cargo Terminal.
Aeroman opened in El Salvador its sixth hangar, which has an area of two thousand square meters and capacity to maintain 14 narrow cabin aircraft simultaneously.
The new hangar, which began construction in March 2018 and whose investment in infrastructure amounted to $20 million, is located on land adjacent to the Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport.
Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador signed the Regulations for the Facilitation of Air and Airport Operations, which will allow some of the flights operating between the three countries to be considered domestic flights.
The Honduran Minister of Investment, Luis Mata, explained that "... this makes it interesting for local and regional airlines to be able to use their planes on regional flights now considered as domestic or local flights with preferential rates."
In El Salvador, the government rejected the draft tender and the economic model proposed by Fomilenio II for the management of the cargo terminal at the Monseñor Romero Airport.
Fomilenio II had planned to launch the tender for the Public Private Association (APP) in the last months of 2018, however, the Executive Port Authority (CEPA) did not approve the tender bases because they argue that they have new data that validate their ability to manage this asset directly.
In El Salvador, a union of employees at the Monseñor Romero airport opposes the project to expand the cargo terminal, which is expected to be developed through a public-private alliance.
The project to expand the cargo terminal of the air terminal, under the concept of a public-private partnership (APP), already has a draft of the tender bases, however, is rejected by the Union of Workers of the Airport Industry and Related (SITTEAIES).
Charges, taxes, high fuel prices and other costs at airport terminals can represent close to 30% of the value of air tickets in countries in the region.
Airlines that operate in the Latin American region face an uncompetitive market, since in 2018 these companies are projected to earn $2.95 per passenger, a figure much lower than the $15.67 estimated in North America or $7.58 in Europe, according to representatives of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The region has 20 international airports, of which 11 are located in Panama and Costa Rica, and the remaining nine are located in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.
According to the report "Transportation in Central America: importance in the regional economy", prepared by the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration, Panama is the country in the region that has the broadest airport infrastructure, since it has seven international airports, followed by Costa Rica and Honduras with four air terminals each, El Salvador and Guatemala with two each, and finally Nicaragua with an international terminal.
The Panamanian airline has presented a financial offer in cash and stock to acquire the second largest airline in the region after Latam Airlines.
The New York Times reported that the offer made by Copa Airlines consists of "... a merger that would value Avianca at more than $2 billion, or a 150 percent premium to its share price last week. [November 29]".