The Comptroller General warned that the Supervisory Agency for Investment in Transportation Infrastructure for Public Use (Ositran), failed to comply with its function of supervising that the concessionaire executes the monthly routine maintenance work on the runway pavement of the Inca Manco Cápac International Airport, in Juliaca (Puno), which was paralyzed from May 22 to June 19 due to technical failures.
According to the concession contract, the pavement of the runway is part of the airport infrastructure to which the concessionaire is obliged to carry out routine maintenance tasks on a monthly basis in order to avoid failures, guaranteeing its reliability and effectiveness, to effects of adequately serving passenger and cargo traffic, for the benefit of users.
These maintenance tasks must be supervised by Ositran, however, the Official Guidance Report No. 4062-2022-CG/APP-SOO, warned that for the 2018-2022 period, the supervisory body approved the Annual Maintenance Plan. presented by the concessionaire allowing routine maintenance work to be carried out on the runway pavement on a biannual basis only twice a year, during the months of March and October, in breach of the terms of the concession contract that establishes a monthly periodicity for said tasks. work by the concessionaire, says the Comptroller’s report.
Ositran points out that it has carried out a technical inspection on a monthly basis, however, the control commission has verified that, in most of the reports sent by that entity, it does not warn of the contractual breach of the concessionaire in the monthly routine maintenance of the pavement, which which contravenes its supervisory role.
Likewise, it was observed that in the Ositran inspection records, there are 48 observations on the runway referring to fissures, cracks, crocodile skin, subsidence, cavities (hollows and potholes) and detachment of both flexible and rigid pavement, dating back to from December 2017 to May 16, 2022 and that have not been subject to survey by the concessionaire.
The control report also warned that Ositran has not complied with withholding the Payment for Maintenance and Operation (PAMO), amounting to US$ 3,585,000 million, which is the annual remuneration paid to the concessionaire (in quarterly installments) to compensate – among others – routine maintenance tasks, as stipulated in the concession contract. Said payment is subject to verification by Ositran.
In addition, in case of breach of contractual obligations by the concessionaire, Ositran is the competent entity to apply the penalties provided for in the concession contract. In this regard, the control report warned that during the 2018-2022 period, Ositran has not applied the US$5,000 penalty to the concessionaire for each time non-compliance with routine maintenance is verified or when there are delays in carrying out said tasks, which evidences deficiencies in the exercise of the supervisory function of Ositran, which may affect operational safety and the continuity of airport activities to the detriment of airport users.
technical inspection
It should be noted that, during the suspension of operations on the runway (which includes an extension of 4,200 meters and 45 meters wide), which occurred from May 22 to June 19, Comptroller’s staff made an inspection visit to the Juliaca airport, together with representatives of Ositran and the concessionaire, in order to verify the condition of the pavement.
In said supervision, the presence of various flaws in the pavement along the entire length of the central third and right lateral third of the runway was verified, such as: cavities, landslides, fissures and crocodile skin.
During said visit, the concessionaire reported that it has been carrying out deep patching work in an area of approximately 6,500 m2 in the central third, which will be presented as corrective maintenance work, as well as routine maintenance work in 2,600 m2 in the right lateral third. , in areas identified as critical by the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics of the MTC.
In addition, the presence of cracks was evident along the entire length of the left lateral third of the runway, without the concessionaire reporting that it has been carrying out maintenance work in this sector.
For all these reasons, the control report was notified to the presidency of Ositran so that the corresponding preventive and corrective actions are adopted, within the framework of their respective competencies and obligations in institutional management, in order to ensure the achievement of the objectives. objectives of the concession contract.
Ositran must inform the Institutional Control Body (OCI) of Ositran, within a maximum period of five business days, of the preventive or corrective actions taken or to be taken, attaching the respective supporting documentation.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC), in its capacity as grantor, was also notified to adopt the respective measures within the framework of its powers, in order to ensure the continuous operation of the Juliaca airport, in compliance with the operational standards corresponding, avoiding new affectations to the users.
