Translations:
IATA reafirma su apoyo a la expansión del actual aeropuerto El Dorado de Bogotá (pdf)
Bogota – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) fully supports the expansion of the existing El Dorado Airport in Bogota, versus the plan to build a second airport which would handle some of the commercial passenger and cargo traffic.
“In order for Colombia to fully reap the socio-economic benefits which aviation can provide to the country and its people; it is essential that its main hub airport El Dorado in Bogota be expanded to handle the predicted demand in the coming 20 years. Currently aviation contributes around
US$ 7.5 billion annually to the country’s GDP, a figure which could easily rise to at least
US$ 12.5 billion by 2037. As the country’s and one of the region’s main connection airport, El Dorado, plays a crucial role in providing the necessary connectivity”, said Peter Cerda, IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas.
The necessary space for the expansion could be made available by moving current non-commercial air traffic (military, general aviation and private) to an alternate location. This would not only allow enlarging the existing passenger and cargo facilities, but also improve the operational stability of the airport. In the longer term, both an additional terminal and runway could be built at the current site.
The option of constructing a second airport has recently again been highlighted in various political discussions. However, relocating portions of the commercial operations would be detrimental to El Dorado’s competitiveness with other hub-airports in the region.
For more information, please contact:
Corporate Communications - Latin America & Caribbean
Tel: +1-438-258 3155
Email: ruedigerm@iata.org
Notes for editors:
- IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 290 airlines comprising 82% of global air traffic.
- You can follow us at https://twitter.com/iata for announcements, policy positions, and other useful industry information.
