The concession, in charge of Oinac, projects that the works allow to double the current capacity, reaching 17 million passengers in 2027.
He Rafael Núñez International Airportwhich moves around 8 million passengers a year and is the third with more air traffic in Colombia, could face a collapse if the extension plan does not advance. The project, with an investment of more than 1 billion pesos, had to start on March 1, but accumulates seven months late.
The concession, in charge of OINAC, projects that the works allow to double the current capacity, reaching 17 million passengers in 2027. The extension contemplates the construction of a new international terminal, platforms, parking lots and improvements in the parallel road to the track. However, so far only minor adjustments have been executed within the terminal.
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“Without consultation, there are no works”: concessionaire
Carlos Cuarta, general manager of the concessionaire, said they have been carried out 63 work tables with the communitybut it has not been possible to reach an agreement to start.
“The works had to begin in March and they still do not begin because it has been necessary to socialize the project. We have done everything required, but if there is no agreement with the communities we cannot initiate. The project is explained and we meet the processes, but we need guarantees,” he said.
The manager warned that the delay puts at risk the profitability and viability of the concession, which has a duration of 8 and a half years and ends in 2032.
ANI: Cartagena needs expansion
For its part, the president of the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI), Óscar Javier Torres Yarzagaraystressed that the extension is not optional but urgent.
“If this airport, which already moves 8 million passengers, had to receive 17 million in the same conditions, would collapse. That is why the new terminal and the expansion plan are required. We have listened to the communities and clarified the scope of the investment, because this project is key to the quality of the service and for Cartagena as a tourist destination,” he explained.
What does the community say?
Inhabitants of the Crespo neighborhood insist that they do not oppose development, but to environmental and security risks, especially for the project to install a jet fuel duct in apple 554.
“We do not oppose progress or tourism, we only ask that the regulations be fulfilled and the community is respected. There are risks that have not been clearly socialized. We have never shown a real impact study in case of an accident,” said a spokesman for the Crespo Defense Committee.
According to dealership data, the expansion of Rafael Núñez seeks to consolidate Cartagena as an international tourist destination and Logistics Center of the Caribbean. However, until the agreement with the communities is achieved, the investments remain paralyzed and the city remains with an air terminal that, today, presents some difficulties in its operational capacity and passengers.
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New Bayunca airport: what is known so far
The New Cartagena Airport will be located in the Bayunca district, north of the city, between the Cordiality road and the Vía al Mar. It has an estimated investment of approximately 4.5 billion pesos. In its first phase, the airport will be able to attend about 11 million passengers per year, and at the end of the concession, this figure is expected to increase approximately 45 million passengers.
It will have two main clues, passenger and cargo terminals, parking lots and other logistics infrastructure necessary to be an international airport terminal. However, this new terminal would be ready by 2032 or 2033 as long as there are no delays in the works.
Although it is still in stages of structuring and feasibility evaluation, the work has generated expectation for its potential impact on the air, tourist and economic mobility of Cartagena.
Source: Integrated information system
