Government Receives New Liberia Airport Terminal with the Promise of Further Improvements

Photo Tamarindo News Files

Concessionaire must pay more than $3 000 per day for delays.

• Entry into operation was announced in November 2011.

The startup of the new passenger terminal at the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia was announced with great fanfare for November 2011; but, due to multiple delays in the works done by the company responsible for the construction, this date was not met.In early December, the Government provisionally received the works; however, the authorities pointed out the urgency to amend certain abnormalities that were detected.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), who did not report the violations found, mentions that Coriport (consortium awarded the work and who will assume the operation of this terminal) should consider and respond to the points of disagreement indicated by the authorities.Coriport is an American-Canadian-Costa Rican company that participated in the tender.

 It was awarded the contract to undertake this important building, which has been valued at $35 million. Coriport will be in charge of the terminal’s operation for 20 years. 

"This process will receive the care it deserves, considering the experience that this country has had with other concessions,” said Luis Carlos Araya, director of Civil Aviation in the statement.

Araya recognized the discomforts of the structure currently in use, but said that the operations of the modern terminal now depends on the Concessionaire.

As contracted for, the 21 thousand-square meter terminal would have come into operation on April 25, 2011, but delays in equipment prevented this to happen.After the first postponement, the opening was moved to November 2011, because, according to Tourism authorities and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, this date corresponded to the arrival of more tourists and the beginning of the high season.This date was not met either, since the Government has detected some irregularities.T

his delay has a hefty price to the concessionaire. It will now have to pay a fine of more than $3000 dollars a day to the Costa Rican Government for non-delivery.

The Tourism Chamber of Guanacaste (CATURGUA), tourism businesses in the area and general tourist entrepreneurs that have built their businesses around the operation of the Daniel Oduber have highlighted the importance of improving the airport’s conditions. 

During 2011, three new airlines included Guanacaste in their routes, and a 27% increase was recorded in the number of visitors entering through the airport during the first quarter.

The conditions of the old terminal made the visitor's attention precarious.

The boarding rooms and the arrival halls, the entrances to the security checkpoints and the airline counters were not well conditioned; they lacked air conditioning, did not have enough seats, there were not enough restrooms, and there were no tourist services whatsoever to make the tourists’ arrival and departure pleasant.

The new terminal will receive 1500 people at the same time with all the facilities and adequate security measures. The old terminal only has capacity for 900 passengers.

The works include four boarding bridges and three remote locations, two boarding gates on each side and an area of ​​restaurants and shops.

Final plan is in the heart of the dispute

Two months ago, the highly anticipated Daniel Oduber Airport terminal completed the construction stage; however, it has not been opened yet. The final plans have not been submitted and that has caused a delay on its startup.  

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has firmly requested the concessionaire to submit the plans with all the details of the construction. Coriport has said not to have them complete.

While the situation clears up, the high season has already started and passengers have already begun to enter in larger numbers. For now, they have had to use the old terminal, which does not have the conditions to satisfy such high demand of visitors.

Passengers are doing long lines outside the airport, under the suffocating heat or hard rains, and suffering the discomfort of carrying their luggage.

Civil Aviation holds US-Costa Rican Consortium Coriport (MMM Aviation Group, Houston Airport System, Emperador Pez Espada, Brad and Ted Investment Corporation and Cocobolo Inversiones) responsible for the delay.

Civil Aviation has indicated that, although the building has been completed, the irregularities in the construction remain, since they have not submitted the documents referring to all construction aspects of the work.

Coriport says that the terminal is ready to operate and has already asked for the documents required by Civil Aviation.

Civil Aviation is also demanding the construction of a sidewalk to communicate the new building with the parking lot of the old terminal.

 However, Coriport indicates that this is not included in the signed contract.Representatives of Coriport said to the national newspaper La Nacion that they would not set any exact term, but that they are rushing to solve the irregularities that have been indicated in order to authorize the opening.