SPECIAL REPORT: BOGOTÁ
Image courtesy of Zyscovich Architects. Despite the improvements the fully completed terminal will bring,
Etzold already knows that additional infrastructure is needed to ensure that Bogotá is capable of meeting rising demand. As a result, Opain is currently in talks with the government over the
need to work on a new long-term development strategy for El Dorado. The Colombian government contracted Aéroports de Paris subsidiary, ADPi, to draft the old master plan and Etzold feels that it is time for a new one. Zyscovich Architects were the Architect of Record on the project. Opain also wants the Colombian government to introduce an IATA
approved Level 2 airport slot management system at El Dorado that would allow the airport to ensure that they are used throughout the day and not only during busy peak periods. Etzold reveals that many airlines want to launch flights to Bogotá
today, but will not for now, because there are no available slots when they want them. “If the existing system is changed, we could comfortably handle many
more flights and enjoy 10% per annum traffic growth for the foreseeable future,” admits Etzold. “This is why the introduction of a slot system must be an absolute priority in our talks with the civil aviation authority. Next on the agenda is the need to look to the future. What development plans does the newly elected government have for the next 20 years?” Colombia officially has 36 domestic and 10 international airports, of
which Bogotá–El Dorado is by far the biggest, accounting for around 48% of all passengers and 80% of the cargo traffic. In terms of numbers, El Dorado handled a record 14.9 million
passengers and a healthy 450,000 tonnes of cargo in 2009. And with traffic showing no sign of slowing down in 2010, Etzold
predicts that up to 17 million passengers and 480,000 tonnes of freight will pass through the gateway by year-end.
The figures make Bogotá the biggest cargo gateway in Latin America
and the second busiest passenger airport after Mexico City–Benito Juarez International Airport. Etzold’s happiness at Bogotá’s lofty cargo status is, however,
softened by the fact that El Dorado accommodated a record 600,000 tonnes of cargo in 2008. He ruefully attributes last year’s decline to “the impact of the world economic crisis”. “We were not alone in suffering a significant decline in cargo tonnage
last year, but there is no point dwelling on it as it was caused by circumstances beyond our control,” points out Etzold. “Things began to get better toward the end of last year and cargo is on the rise again in 2010, although it maybe a few years before we get back to the 2008 levels.” On the positive side, Etzold is delighted with the continued upturn
in passenger throughput – traffic increased 10% in 2009 and has soared nearly 30% since 2006 – and attributes the rise down to the expansion plans of its airlines. Colombian national flag carrier Avianca, on the verge of bankruptcy
before being saved by Brazilian entrepreneur German Efromovich six years ago, is now regarded as one of the most successful airlines in Latin American with a fleet of over 50 aircraft. A network of 35 destinations across Colombia, the Americas and
Europe from Bogotá ensure that Avianca is currently responsible for 58% of all passengers handled at the gateway. While a multi-million dollar order for 12 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which
it has already hinted that it might use to launch flights to Asia, provides some evidence of its new-found confidence and ambitions. Efromovich also owns shares in AeroGal and Taca Airlines (merged
with Avianca), both of which serve Bogotá and have helped El Dorado build up its transfer traffic, according to Etzold.
AIRPORT WORLD/AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2010 17
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