Patience. This is what Erick Uribio, administrator of the La Aurora International Airport, asks Guatemalan users in the terminal recovery process.
“We have donation issues and issues that do require that the State Hiring Law be complied with. So, for large processes, we have to get tenders that the entire process takes six to eight months,” he says in an interview with the free press and the Guatemala team does not stop.
Uribio states that around 165 purchasing and hiring processes for the airport are active. “We have a lot of improvements on issues that people do not see,” he argues.
La Aurora airport remodeling in 2025
According to the official, some of the remodeling projects could be grouped into the following categories:
- Infrastructure and track: The rehabilitation of the taxiway was finished and ceilings, slabs and docks were waterproofed, in addition to pressure washes to eliminate accumulated damage. Deep maintenance of the main track is planned to ensure its long -term functionality.
- User services: The toilets were improved, the Food Court was renewed and the project was awarded to modernize the air conditioning system. It also advances in the digital transformation of the airport with new vertical and large format screens for flight information, and it is planned to improve signaling.
- OPERATIVE SECURITY AND EQUIPMENT: The Vosoo system was renewed, the CCTV is modernized and a new emergency operating room will be enabled. X -rays and an ambulance for incidents were acquired, and security with more agents and improvements in access controls and internal protocols were reinforced.
- Electrical system and lighting: A technical study of the electrical system and maintenance of the seven substations to automate and synchronize the entire system is carried out. Interior and exterior lighting with LED technology was modernized.
- Space management and administration: It works on the recovery of “abandonment” areas, including commercial premises and spaces used by previous dealers, as part of the visual and functional renewal of the airport.
- Springs and treatment plant: The renewal of the approach docks and the system of belts and carousels is already obsolete. The treatment plant will be expanded to better handle wastewater discharges from aircraft.
This is an extract of the conversation he had with this medium.
From 2024 to date, is there an increase in airlines and amounts of flights? How much?
Currently what we have are more flights from the same airlines; New destinations are offered. An airline like Avianca is taking a new destination to Miami. Jetblue also opened another route, and Tag is about to specify an alliance with Volaris to generate more frequencies. All this has generated growth. Depending on the season, it also happens that Iberia or other airline adds one or two additional flights. From Inguat there is talk of the arrival of Air Canada to promote more connections. Yes, aviation is being developed more naturally.
The theme of the track, make a construction street and increase the space, in what time is it raised? Does still in the plan?
There are three stages in this model. The first is recovery; The following, the expansion. We have advanced at the tables with the World Bank, which will lead the study on how to expand the airport, based on the master plan and other studies, to find modification alternatives. It is complicated, because modifying the skirting street and moving it according to the regulations entails operational arrears during construction. In addition, the current space is very busy, with hagars and current contracts, which hinders execution. The World Bank study will analyze the viability of these improvements.
What advances in infrastructure have we seen since last year?
An inherited contract was that of the Street or Taxo Track, administered by the Ministry of Communications and the Social Fund of Solidarity. It was recently concluded and allowed to increase efficiency. Maybe travelers do not perceive it, but airlines do. A taxa street in optimal conditions allows more operations per hour and reduces the delays.
Improvements with ordinary budget have also been made, as in toilets. The airport maintenance and cleaning contract was reinforced, with compliance in payments and supervision. Healthy workers were equipped to guarantee supplies supply.
We have worked on improvements that are not always visible, but noticeable, such as the wastewater treatment plant. There were complaints about the bad smell when entering the airport.
Actions have been promoted to improve the electrical system, with Combex-IM support. A current system study is carried out and maintenance is planned in seven substations. The goal is to automate and synchronize the entire system, since today, before a light cut, the plant must be activated manually.
The maintenance and renewal of the air conditioning system was awarded. In the corridors, stairs and access to protocol areas, improvements have also been made.
What are the next projects?
From the address, with Cochsna support, new X -rays are managed. In addition, by donation from China Taiwan, additional equipment will be received, since the current one is very old. An ambulance will also be incorporated to attend medical emergencies or incidents inside the airport.
As for major projects, the renewal of all docks continues. Some have 25 years of use; Others, about 20, which has caused deterioration.
The treatment plant will be expanded, because we are at the limit of the indicators. This is because all the blue water discharges of the aircraft are made here, which affects water management, despite the investments in pumps and equipment.
The renewal of the belly and carousels system is in process. This equipment, in use since 2005, already has considerable obsolescence, despite recent maintenance. This has caused delays.
With support from China Taiwan, the closed security circuit (CCTV) will be renewed. A new monitoring room will be built next to the emergency operations center, which is currently in the basement. This center, as the first line of response, must be in a more suitable place and with better visibility.
Are there enough funds for those projects that remain pending for this year?
We are talking about, on average, a motobomba of airport conditions does not fall from US $ 1.5 million. The equivalent would be approximately Q16 million for each. Therefore, more agile mechanisms are being sought to have them in a short time.
Do the docks, the expansion of the plant and the belt system are projects for 2025?
The theme of the docks is a project that, although we start the tender this year, for its complexity – are 18 docks -, it is likely to advance in phases. In the best of cases, the five oldest and then the others would have to be renewed first. As for the treatment plant, we are trying to run this year, although it is a fairly long process. The belt system is the one that requires the longest; You have to initiate the development of the bidding bases, since it is practically a complete renewal of the current system.
What are the security improvements that Guatemalan or passenger does not perceive?
One of the aspects that must be mentioned at airports is Safety and Security. Safety covers operational security, and Security refers to protection in general. The latter applies in that, although they work with old X -ray equipment, they are maintained and the inspection arches are maintained in good condition. Since last year, when we started, there were about 112 security agents; Today we have approximately 250. Although we still do not reach the ideal metric, having more agents allows strengthening security, improving inspections and collecting data that prevent incidents at the airport.
On the capacity both in the terminal and on the track, how are they advancing with those two aspects? One of the estimates was that by 2026 the shooting street would be in its maximum capacity. How do you perceive it?
Growth has been given. In previous years we handled between 3 and 3.2 million passengers; Only last year we had 4.1 million. The terminal has a capacity of 7.5 million. In this context, it is important to continue improving the conditions of the track and navigation. A better preparation of tower staff has also been promoted, with constant training, something that had been lost and now resumed.
How will the airport be at the end of 2025 and half of 2026?
There are many issues to do. For example, we are in the process of identifying damage to the platforms. The DGAC infrastructure area is about to lift a bidding process to perform detailed maintenance of the main track, which will allow us to continue operating safely.
Comments have been published on social networks that there are no advances in Aila. Why this perception? Why is there still a certain image of the airport?
It’s very simple: people were aware of how the airport was. To be the entrance and exit door of the country, it was totally deteriorated. I always said that it seemed like a demolition scene. I think the perception will change. Now that the air conditioning system is working, and with other infrastructure works that will be completed and will be more visible, that will help modify that image.
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