Alterra Will Leave The
San José Airport
Alterra Partners, the
builders and managers of
the Juan Santamaría (San
José) international
airport announced
yesterday the sale of
its stock, Houston
Airport System (HAS),
based in Texas, leaving
the completion of the
airport terminal at the
country's main
international airport in
the hands of an
international
consortium.
"This groups represents
the best option for the
company and for the
future of the airport",
said Alterra in an
email.
Afredo Aguilets,
managing director of
Alterra, refused to
offer more details on
the move, only to
confirm that the sale
has taken place.
The modernization of the
Santamaría has been
going on for years, with
the first phase of the
project completed,
construction on the
completion phase was
halted in January when
Alterra ran into
difficulty with its
bankers, following long
delays in the completion
of the project.
The new consortium that
will complete the
construction of terminal
and operate the airport,
although there is a lack
of details, is made up
of HAS, Canada's ADC
management and Andrade
Gutiérrez Concesiones (AGC)
of Brazil.
According to the sketchy
information, there will
be no major changes in
personnel, as the
current Alterra staff is
qualified to operate the
airport under
international standards.
Before HAS can take over
operations it must first
obtain the approval of
the Consejo Técnico de
Aviación Civil (Civil
Aviation) and the
Contraloría de la
República (Comptroller's
office).
In addition, HAS has to
contribute, in addition
to its own capital,
financing for at least
us$48 million dollars to
complete the
construction work at the
Santamaría. |
