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.
Guatemalan authorities announced they plan to carry out refurbishment work at an air terminal located in the department of Escuintla, so that these facilities can function as a cargo airport.
Officials of the Executive informed that the project to adapt the airfield that is located south of Guatemala City, is in the final design phase and will be built in three stages.
Alejandro Giammattei, president-elect of Guatemala, announced that during his mandate the administration of the country's airports will be handed over to the municipalities.
The plans of the president-elect, who is due to take office on Jan. 14, 2020, are to hand over the administration of several airports to mayors who have commercial airstrips within their municipalities.
The Guatemalan government endorsed the modernization of La Aurora International Airport, which costs about $117 million, through a public-private partnership.
After the consulting firm Deloitte Tetra Tech was hired to prepare feasibility studies, with the aim of establishing contract models that could be applied to modernize the Guatemalan air terminal, it was recommended that a public-private partnership (PPP) is the most efficient way.
According to the Guatemalan airline guild, it is necessary to modernize the infrastructure of La Aurora International Airport by expanding the southern taxiway, but in the study of the project it is proposed to begin with work on the northern runway.
The consulting firm Deloitte Tetra Tech was hired to prepare feasibility studies, with the aim of establishing the plan to modernize the Guatemalan air terminal.
A public-private partnership would be the most efficient option for modernizing Guatemala's La Aurora International Airport, which urgently requires a strong investment in infrastructure.
The consulting firm Deloitte Tetra Tech was hired to prepare feasibility studies, with the aim of establishing contract models that could be applied to modernize the Guatemalan air terminal.
One of the major airlines in the region has recommended the construction of an international airport in the Pacific in order to improve the country's connectivity with the rest of the region and the world.
Pedro Heilbron, president of Copa Airlines said in an article on Eleconomista.net that the aviation market in Guatemala has "... some limitations in relation to other airport infrastructure, not only the terminal, but the location."
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.
One of the projects which aroused the most interest from foreign investors in the recent Investment Summit has drawn criticism over its design and planning.
The small amount of urban development and the broken terrain in the area of Zone 25 where the Municipality of Guatemala plans to build an international airport have raised questions in the real estate sector.
Plans for the construction of the airport of Puerto de San José, Escuintla, are ready, and a partnership with the private sector is being sought to provide the finance of $140 million required for the project.
The aim of the construction of this airport is to relieve pressure on the air traffic in the terminal of La Aurora. Due to the fact that the necessary funds have not been obtained, the state is aiming to complete the project via a public-private partnership model.