Airport planning is an area where we have plenty of opportunities to work better together. Traffic is expected to double in the next 15 years, and it is growing even faster than the global average in the South American (SAM) Region. Are we really prepared to take advantage of the benefits of this growth in the Region? Do SAM States have long term plans for their airport systems? Do all stakeholders in the aviation system actively participate on the airport master planning process in order to ensure that every aspect of the business is considered? Can every State answer the question “Where will our main airport be in the next 40 years?”
Fabio Salvatierra is an Aerodromes and Ground Aids (AGA) Officer with the ICAO South American Office
Words like “collaboration”, “demand-driven”, “balanced”, and “flexible” were uttered the most at the Airport Planning Seminar for the SAM Region that was held last September. Delegates had the opportunity to listen to experts from the ICAO Airport Master Planning Task Force, ICAO HQ and TCB, IATA, CANSO, FAA, UK CAAI ARUP, JACOBS, LANDRUM & BROWN, and experts from Spain, Brazil, the United States, Aerocivil Colombia, Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, Lima Airport Partners, among others.
Nevertheless, apart from those great presentations, what we really enjoyed was the workshop and the participation of every delegate, working together with the experts to identify common regional challenges and proposing initiatives that will drive us to fulfil our vision:
“To be a Region which is recognized worldwide for the collaborative planning of its airports, which ensures the timely and balanced capacity to bring the benefits of air transport to all the people of South America”.
Now that we have their input, we are working towards a roadmap that will then become a new Regional Project under the GREPECAS (Regional Planning and Implementation Group), which will be endorsed by States to answer that important question in a collaborative way. Great things will happen in the SAM Region.
To learn more about this and other related initiatives, send an email to fsalvatierra@icao.int. You can browse through the presentations and material from the first Seminar here.