Corema approves Region IV airport EIS

Chile's Region IV environment authority Corema has approved the EIS for a US$24.5mn project to build a new regional airport, the public works ministry said in a statement Wednesday. The project involves a 20-year concession near Tongoy, 42km south of regional capital La Serena, and would include a 3,500 sq. m. passenger terminal, a 2.2km runway, taxiways and aprons with capacity for four Airbus A320 aircraft and a control tower. Traffic is expected to hit 430,000 passengers/year by 2005. The new airport - to be named Gabriela Mistral - would replace the area's current one located east of La Serena that can only handle aircraft up to Boeing 737-size and is subject to frequent closures due to fog. The project falls under the public works ministry's US$1.93bn, 2003-2004 concessions portfolio. With the approval, the ministry is authorized to launch the concession's bidding process.