Guatemala provides more details on La Aurora airport PPP

President Bernardo Arévalo offered more details on the public-private partnership for the modernization of Guatemala City’s La Aurora international airport. 

After announcing the PPP at a recent industry event, Arévalo told a press conference on Thursday that “when the time to expand the airport comes – including the construction of new areas and runways – the facilities can grow along the economy of the country.”

He added, “in the next 25 or 30 years we will need a partnership that allows the State to contribute with funds… and to have an international bidding process so that expert companies who have the resources can participate.”

Although the financing model is not yet defined, Arévalo said he is considering the involvement of a mixed-capital company whose shares are available to the public to raise more funds.

“It will take around four or five years for us to get to this stage,” he said, “it is a three-step stage.”

Guatemala may request an international loan to carry out a second bidding process to award the facility to a specialized operator.

Arévalo emphasized that the airport “will in no way be privatized.”

The government recently requested congress to increase the airport’s budget by 200 million quetzales (US$25.1mn) to carry out emergency works, including investments in the air conditioning system, X-ray machines, waterproofing the roofs and buying a machine to help maintain the runways. 

On February 5, Arévalo removed the director of the airport, Francis Argueta, over allegations of corruption and bad management.