Legislators Review Bill
To Upgrade, Build
National Airports
Costa Rica's legislators
are reviewing a bill
aimed at improving
airport infrastructure
throughout the country.
Specifically, the bill
will permit private and
public airport operators
to lengthen landing
strips in order to meet
international standards.
"The bill modifies
article 91 of the
general civil aviation
law, as well as the
Ministerio de Obras
Públicas y Transportes (MOPT)
decree which
establishes all the
requisites a private
investor or contractor
must meet to build an
airport in the country.
There are some 105
airports and aerodromes
in the country, of which
nearly 76 are private.
The rest are public
facilities, only three
of which meet
international
specifications: the
Daniel Oduber in
Liberia, Juan Santamaría
in San José and Tobías
Bolaños in Pavas.
Tourism is currently one
of Costa Rica's most
important economic
activities and that
corporate interests are
lobbying to build
private airports that
meet international
standards.
The legislation that
regulates airport
infrastructure in Costa
Rica dates from 1973 and
sets the maximum length
of landing strips at
1km.
According to legislator
Bienvenido Venegas,
local and international
private investors have
seen the bill and have
manifested the need for
more aeronautical
infrastructure in the
country's rural and
coastal areas to expand
their operations,
meanwhile, US and
European insurance
companies demand that
airports meet
international standards
to permit the airlines
they cover to land in
Costa Rica.
"This regulation was
enforced because, at the
time, some private
airports were smuggling
drugs into the country,"
Venegas said.
The legislator has been
promoting the bill in
the lower house where it
has received positive
feedback.
"The bill has already
been submitted to the
legislative assembly and
a permanent committee
should be assigned next
week," Venegas said,
adding: "I will
negotiate with this
committee to speed up
approval of the bill."
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