A work in progress W
Bogotá–El Dorado International Airport’s Ralf Etzold talks to Joe Bates about development plans at the gateway.
hen it comes to privatisations, things don’t get much more complex than Bogotá–El Dorado International Airport,
but with a new terminal being built and traffi c on the rise, the business model appears to be working. The gateway’s 2006 privatisation was a little different to others because concessionaire winner Operadora Aeroportuaria Internacional (Opain) – a consortium made up of Colombian construction and engineering companies – is only responsible for the management and development of the passenger terminal and cargo facilities.
Operation and maintenance of El Dorado’s runways and taxiways is carried out by Codad, a subsidiary of Spanish transportation infrastructure giant Abertis.
The Colombian government, through
the Civil Aviation Authority, is responsible for air traffi c control services, runway lighting and the installation of radar, instrument landing systems and all other navigational aids at El Dorado.
Under the terms of the concessions, Codad is entitled to all landing fees and Opain makes its money from activities such as aircraft parking, passenger taxes and the use of airbridges to offi ce rental and shopping.
The terms of Opain’s 20-year concession also states that it must give 46.16% of its profi ts to the Colombian government.
If that wasn’t complicated enough Opain, which paid the Colombian government $650 million for the airport concession, has since signed a Technical Services Agreement (TSA) with the A-Port consortium to operate the airport on its behalf.
Confused yet? “It is a tough one to get your head around, but this is how it is and we just get on with it,” laughs Bogotá–El Dorado International Airport’s chief operating offi cer, Ralf Etzold.
New terminal construction Codad recently built a second runway and Opain is currently overseeing construction of a new terminal, based on
a master plan drawn up in the year 2000 – six years before it became the concessionaire.
Situated between the existing main passenger handling complex and Avianca’s domestic terminal about 1.6 kilometres away, the fi rst phase of the new terminal is due to be completed in late 2011, ahead of a planned June 2012 opening.
It will initially serve as El Dorado’s new international terminal before the addition of two new concourses allows it to handle domestic traffi c. Avianca’s existing domestic facility will then be closed and today’s main terminal bulldozed. When the work is complete, El Dorado will be capable of accommodating 16mppa and Opain will have spent nearly $1.1 billion upgrading its passenger facilities.
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
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