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.
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.
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 financing has been assured by the Inter-American Development Bank, but the construction works that would increase the influx of international tourism by 20% are still awaiting a political decision.
IDB funds of $6.3 million, the land and the plans are all available, the only thing lacking is the political will to build it.
The president of the National Chamber of Tourism in Honduras (CANATURH), Epaminondas Marinakys together with a Spanish expert in tourism have met with the Finance Minister who promised to carry out the project, adding "even if it is late, it has to be done" .
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 expansion work and repair of the airport will be completed in a period of five years.
Representatives from Aeropuertos de Honduras, the company responsible for the operation of Roatan airport, announced the investment project to city officials and businessmen.
Among the works to be carried out are the expansion by 3,000 square feet of the terminal building, the implementation of a new air conditioning system, repair of the runway and aircraft parking expansion.
The company Aeropuertos de Honduras has announced an investment of $52 million into expanding and remodeling four international terminals.
Fredy Nasser, president of Aeropuertos de Honduras, said that the works will be carried out at the airports of Toncontín in Tegucigalpa, Goloson in La Ceiba, Juan Manuel Galvez in Roatan, and San Pedro Sula.
The former president of the Cortes Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIC), Oscar Galeano, told Latribuna.hn "the investment in the international airport in San Pedro Sula, will cover the purchase and acquisition of technology for the operation of the flights, air conditioning improvements, expansion of the terminal and the installation of three additional walkways, among other improvements. "
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.