After determining that expansion of the Juan Santamaria International Airport was not a viable option for the growing needs of Costa Rica, a contract for a new airport to be developed in Orotina was signed off on by the Costa Rica government in 2015. Now, two years later, plans for the airport are moving forward with one milestone date just around the corner.
Original reports stated that by mid-2017 British company Mott MacDonald Ltd would deliver the conceptual design for the new airport including: runway locations, terminals and other aeronautical infrastructure as well as an inventory in the international financial community of possible sources of financing for construction.
With that date just ahead, we are looking forward to the progress on the highly anticipated airport at Orotina.
Once the new Orotina International Airport project is complete, it is stated that it will accommodate 10 million travelers every year. Being constructed on 3,000 acres to include three runways capable of handling aircraft as large as a Boeing 747-800 and A380, the estimated cost are around $5 billion USD.
Positive impacts are anticipated on tourism and the overall economy with the provision of jobs and improved infrastructure in the area. With Orotina being so close to beautiful Pacific beaches, the airport will take tourism in the area and along the Pacific Coast to a new level.
Imports and exports will also see a positive spill over as agricultural producers will have access to larger aircraft and a larger number of direct flights to Europe allowing more good to flow to and from the country.
As an additional step forward, at the end of 2016 a delegation of aeronautical experts from South Korea gave a training to their Costa Rican counterparts marking the beginning of the lengthy process of establishing the new airport in Orotina. The training was part of a technical cooperation agreement between Costa Rica and South Korea, said Engineer Guiselle Alfaro, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure.
“They are very interested in cooperating with Costa Rica so the new airport incorporates the model of efficiency and technology employed at the Incheon airport,” said Alfaro.
After the 2016 training, Ennio Cubillo, Director General of Civil Aviation, added that the site study, overall design, and master plan for the new Metropolitan Airport of Costa Rica, is progressing satisfactorily and will be completed by the middle of 2017.
With all signs pointing to GO, we look forward to new developments on the new international airport at Orotina in the months ahead.