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AERIS develops new expansions and infrastructure projects for Juan Santamaría

 

  • Total investment in the new projects will reach $76.5 million
  • The airport’s first expansion will be towards the west, with new boarding areas, a widened runway, southern taxiway and secure area.

From the end of October to mid-2019, group of large projects will begin to open at Juan Santamaría International Airport. These infrastructure projects are being carried out by AERIS, the administrator in charge of Costa Rica’s main airport.

Work began in the middle of this year on the Calle La Candela project, which consists of six construction projects valued jointly at $39.5 million.

“The La Candela project work is sure to be a catalyst for larger projects, and their main effects will be felt in a more efficient airport with faster takeoffs and up to 12 additional takeoffs per hour on runway 25. That means, for example, that the wait times at peak hours will be much lower and airlines operating in the airport will be better served”, said Rafael Mencía, Executive Director of AERIS.

  1. Relocation and extension of Calle La Candela, the objective of which is to create space to develop a series of much-needed improvements to the airfield. This project will improve the airport’s connections to the communities of El Coco, La California and Ojo de Agua, as well as between the communities themselves.
  2. The road that passes by the eastern side of the airport will be moved 300 meters, and a new 1.5 km road will be built.

The new section of Calle La Candela from the Autopista General Cañas to the Ojo de Agua intersection was completed on October 26th. Meanwhile, the section from Ojo de Agua to the west will be ready by December 17th.

  1. The runway end safety area (RESA): it will improve operational safety at the airport, with an obstacle-free area that is 90 m wide and 150 m long, reserved for cases in which a takeoff has to be aborted.
  2. Runway length extension: along with the safety area, there will be an extension of the runway by 60 meters, which additionally allows for the creation of two access points from the new south parallel taxiway towards the head of the runway.
  3. New lighting system: completely substitutes the existing system of runway lighting, which has not been replaced in 40 years. It will provide improved protection against atmospheric discharges, more circuits to minimize adverse effects and improve redundancy, ease of maintenance and energy efficiency.

The RESA, the runway extension and the lighting system will come into service in mid-December 2018.

South Parallel Taxiway: the new taxiing surface will allow aircraft to proceed to the head of the runway for takeoff or to head to their parking position after landing.

The South Parallel line will eliminate the need for aircraft to travel by the runway itself to access the head of the runway (runway 25).

Furthermore, the new taxiway is far enough from the main runway that it allows wide-body aircraft to circulate without affecting operations.

  1. East Sector Perimeter Road: it will be a road along the eastern side of the airfield, nearly 3 km in length, which will allow for access by all kinds of vehicles, including maintenance, security and firefighters to the eastern half of the airport. In addition, it provides two thirds of the access points required for the future Coopesa facility.

The Perimeter Road project and the Eastern Circuit of the South Parallel Taxiway will be concluded between April and May of 2019.

Victor Block: new boarding areas and more points of contact

A new 4-story building with over 6,000 square meters will expand Juan Santamaría airport towards the west for the first time. The new construction is called Victor Block (V Block), and its features will include:

  1. Four boarding lounges:
  • Two with connecting bridges
  • Two for remote positions
  1. Expansion of the parking ramp in two positions of 5,500 m2 of concrete.
  2. A restaurant at the departure gates
  3. An upper level for a new VIP lounge
  4. Pet area 

“We have a genuine interest in contributing to Costa Rica’s competitiveness and in ensuring the development of modern and efficient airport infrastructure. Moving forward with air traffic means growing and growing quickly. With V Block, we will achieve 13 contact bridges and we will have the ability of having up to three wide-body planes at the same time in the boarding areas”, added Rafael Mencía, Executive Director of AERIS.

Block V will represent an investment of $20 million, with the work set to be completed in December of next year.

In parallel to the Victor Block development, the terminal will grow toward the west with a four-story space consisting of basement, arrivals, departures and mezzanine. The project, valued at $17 million, envisions:

  1. 16 additional positions for checking passengers in or depositing baggage
  2. 15 additional self-serve check-in kiosks
  3. An additional baggage carousel fed from the basement
  4. Expansion of the customs and agricultural areas from four to six processing lines
  5. Additional area for airline offices

This expansion of the terminal will increase the general capacity of the airport and will decrease the passenger processing time.

All of these projects are part of an intense investment program set out in the AERIS Master Plan. The plan encompasses over $143 million and is aimed at improving the operation and providing Costa Rica with the airport infrastructure it deserves.