Airport Move to Panama Pacifico Could Boost Development

The administrator of the APP stated in an interview with Panamá América that the growth of this airport will also contribute to the recovery of the tourism sector, mainly in the province of West Panama, due to its proximity and variety of offers. He clarified that, although a decision has not yet been made, the Panama Pacifico Airport has sufficient space on its western strip to consider the activities of another air facility; however, such a determination will be made by the Panama Pacifico Agency (APP), as the entity in charge of the administration and future of the terminal. According to its administrator, Javier Suárez Pinzón, the possible relocation of the Marcos A. Gelabert Airport, located in Albrook, to the Panama Pacifico special economic zone to make way for the construction of the Panama-David-Frontera railway, will not diminish the competitiveness of the terminal in that location; on the contrary, it could boost its development plans, increasing its profit margin. He mentioned that the national plan to boost the airport's growth includes the development of 380 hectares of land that have not yet been utilized and the attraction of new transactional companies to the area that could benefit from its future connectivity with Metro Line 3 and Tocumen International Airport. However, aviation groups and concessionaires of the Albrook Airport have expressed their rejection of this possibility, considering that it will compromise national air connectivity, causing logistical, economic, and social impacts. He indicated that the airport's current profit margin is between 10% and 20%, meaning it is not operating at full capacity; therefore, a strategy is being worked on to promote its advantages to companies and citizens. Additionally, they have a letter of intent from an operator to build 50,000 square meters of hangars on the eastern strip of the airport in the next two years, generating around 1,500 jobs. The terminal registers between 5,800 and 6,000 cargo movements monthly to the Colón Free Zone and border areas in a short period without dealing with the saturation of the Capital City's roads, and it transports about 400,000 passengers, but it can accommodate up to 2 million people per month. Data provided by the entity reveals that 50% of the companies established in the sector belong to the logistics sector, while 30% are dedicated to the maritime and aviation world; that is why it is essential to add value to the industry. "We are talking about 2 million passengers who would get to know our country because those who land here stay in Panama," he affirmed.