The Liberia Airport Must Respond to its Growing Number of Arrivals and Departures.

As Guanacaste tourism grew, its capital, Liberia, responded with the construction of its own international airport. Now, just over ten years after its completion, the airport is in need of renovations to help it accommodate the several thousand Costa Rica Flights that taxi its runways each year. Unfortunately, recent developments indicate that the airport’s expansion will not be completed by the end of 2009, but rather in early 2010.

The Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport was built in 1995, and was designed to service Costa Rica’s northwest (Pacific) coast. The airport was named after Costa Rica’s president, Daniel Oduber (1974-1978), who was an advocate for expansion in Guanacaste tourism. Oduber had lobbied for a Guanacaste airport, and so its naming was quite appropriate. Fulfilling the president’s dreams for Guanacaste, despite its small size and customized service region, his namesake quickly became a favorite airport for many tourists. Such quick popularity and a growing number of daily arrivals have made an expansion necessary, prompting airport officials and managers to begin soliciting investments.

Plans for the airport have moved along with relative smoothness, though this latest delay is the fifth of its kind. Indeed, while plans have progressed, each delay was fueled by the need for more investments to finance the airport’s expansion. The Civil Aviation Technical Council (CTAC) first named February as the cutoff date to receive investment offers. When not enough funds were raised, the date was extended to March, then May, then June, and now, has been postponed until August 8.

With the new funding date set for little over a month from now, it is almost impossible that renovations on the international airport — which will take about eight months — will begin this year, as originally planned. Also, due the postponed starting date, it is highly unlikely that the airport’s construction will be complete by the end of 2009, as was hoped. “The new terminal will beginning operation in the first trimester of 2010,” Vice Minister of Concessions, Guillermo Matamoros, said.

Matamoros also explained that certain regulations from the Law of Concessions, which will soon go into effect, will affect the airport’s funding and investment needs. These changes will also influence the international airport’s construction and expansion, almost assuring a late completion. For example, it is currently necessary for any party interested in administrating the airport to provide a ongoing construction contract during the entire concession period. Under the new law, the construction company will no longer be required after the construction is completed.

There is a silver lining to the airport construction’s recent hiccups: at the end of the day, when the expansion is complete and all problems are forgotten, tourists into Liberia will be greeted by a larger, more modern airport. The project is budgeted to cost approximately $18.9 million, and will include eight new departure gates, new airline check-in desks, and common areas that accommodate 1,500 people (600 more than today).

For the moment, airport and government officials must work out the difficult details. When funds are secured and airport plans become reality, the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport will undergo renovation, and its result will be positive for all involved.

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Filed under: Costa Rica News on July 9th, 2008