Bocas del Toro Airport Modernization

The airport in Bocas del Toro will be upgraded to international status. The modernization project will be implemented in two phases. During the first phase, a perimeter fence will be installed, the runway lighting will be improved, a system for night approaches will be set up, and work will begin to renovate the terminal building and adapt the airport to accommodate larger aircraft. In the second phase, on an adjacent plot of land whose acquisition is about to be finalized, a new terminal, taxiways, and a fuel depot will be built. Rafael Bárcenas Chiari, administrator of the Civil Aviation Authority (AAC), informed that the first phase will begin this year with the initial improvements required to enable it to function as an international airport and to receive flights at night. For the second phase, if more resources are needed, approximately $20 million will be required to equip the airport with a refueling system, allowing planes to arrive and depart directly without having to stop at another airport in the country. Although José Ezequiel Hall Airport on Isla Colón receives tourists from all over the world, it is far from being an international terminal. Currently, the alternate airport is Manuel Niño Airport, located in Changuinola. Bocas del Toro receives 170,000 passengers annually, and the projection with the airport's modernization is 500,000 passengers. Once the purchase of a plot of land adjacent to the Isla Colón airport in Bocas del Toro was authorized, the Civil Aviation Authority (AAC) divided its modernization into two phases. At the end of August last year, the Assembly's Budget Commission approved the additional credit for the aforementioned amount. Bárcenas acknowledged that the budget was smaller, but they have prioritized expenses to allocate more resources to the first phase and complete it successfully. The official added that for these works, the support of residents near the terminal will be needed, as a major problem is the intrusion of people onto the runway. To prevent this situation, alternative solutions will be provided, which includes building a road. For this year, $3.5 million is budgeted to begin the improvements. The Cabinet Council authorized its acquisition on November 19, 2025, by Resolution No. 137-25. The farm that the AAC is buying for $6 million covers an area of 13.9 hectares.