Colombia’s capital Bogota will get a second airport to reduce pressure on the city’s international El Dorado terminal, newspaper El Espectador reported Wednesday.
According to the daily, the airport, which private and some regional flights would be transferred to, will be located in the vicinity of Guaymaral, close to the North Highway in Bogota. There is already small airport at Guaymaral which handles private and charter flights, and is the base for private and commercial pilot training schools.
The President of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Giovanni Bisignani, during his visit to Bogota, said that the current international aiport, El Dorado, needs urgent modernization of its radio communication system. He also said the airport needs to implement a satellite navigation system with would reduce space between airplanes which would avoid them having to make additional fly-overs.
Currently there are restrictions on the operation hours of the second runway which is closed for eight hours every night. Experts say this is causing the Colombian aeronautical industry to lose competitiveness in comparison to other airports in the region. On Wednesday there were only 30 take-offs and landings per hour.
Airlines are willing to invest in the construction of an airport terminal or runway as airline Avianca did with the terminal Puente Aereo. Avianca invested $6 million in the building of the separate terminal at El Dorado Airport, where they have concentrated their domestic operations.
The President of Avianca Taca, Fabio Villegas, said that he is very interested in expanding operations at Puente Aereo to also deal with international flights which suggests substantial investment.