They will close Aeroparque for two days to carry out works on the runway and invest US$ 85 million

The decision to interrupt activities responds directly to the strong increase in the flow of operations that the metropolitan terminal has been registering, added to the projections of greater demand for commercial and executive flights for the coming months. Planned tasks include repair and sealing of joints and cracks, decontamination and demarcation work, as well as maintenance and adjustment of the beacon system.

The company indicated that the dates and times were coordinated in advance with the intervening organizations and the airlines to mitigate the impact. The central objective of this scheduled closure is avoid unforeseen incidents that force emergency suspensionslike the precedent on December 28, when the appearance of an asphalt detachment forced the runway to be closed for three hours in full operation.

The temporary closure will affect about 900 flights in total, divided into 600 domestic operations and 300 international. As a logistical alternative, international services will be transferred to the Ezeiza International Airport.

This terminal also has the necessary infrastructure to absorb up to 50% of the affected domestic flights, with the final rescheduling subject to the decision of each airline.

This intervention on the track It is part of a broader transformation financed by Aeropuertos Argentina 2000designed in response to the terminal’s record figures, which during the first quarter sustained a daily average of 409 flights. In addition to improvements in the area of ​​aircraft movement, the million-dollar investment plan includes the expansion of more than 13,000 square meters in the national and international pre-shipment sectorsthe technological renewal of the control and check-in posts, and a significant expansion of the commercial and gastronomic offer.

To absorb the impact of the closure and guarantee passenger connectivity, the airlines that usually operate at the Costanera terminal are already working on the design of a contingency scheme. Sources from the aeronautical sector indicated that the temporary transfer of operations to Ezeiza will represent an unprecedented logistical challenge due to the volume of flights concentrated in less than 55 hours.

Although the international terminal is prepared to receive the extra flow, intense activity is expected in the arrivals and departures terminals during the two days of shutdown in the City of Buenos Aires.

From a technical point of view, the ambitious reform of the international sector seeks to speed up waiting times and improve airport security standards. The expansion of the areas intended for the controls of the Airport Security Police (PSA) and the National Directorate of Migration will allow a much more dynamic processing of passengers during peak hours. Added to this will be the implementation of a new core for remote arrivals and departures, an engineering solution designed to make connections between different flights more flexible without saturating the main corridors.

The building renovation will also focus on comfort and premium experiences for users. The incorporation of the new Amae Lounge VIP room in the domestic sector and an exclusive space overlooking the Río de la Plata in the international area are part of a strategy to raise the category of the terminal to global standards.

The objective of Aeropuertos Argentina is to convert passive waiting areas into true service and enjoyment centers, where comfort is an added value for both the foreign tourist and the local corporate traveler.

Prior to this, Aeropuertos Argentina and ORSNA had presented a strategic plan for the Ezeiza International Airport that contemplates a disbursement of more than US$ 100 millionand which also include works and the disabling of the slopes. In this case, the most critical stage of the runway work will be concentrated between October 25 and November 11, a period during which the airport will be forced to operate on a limited basis.

As the secondary runway is disabled, all activity will be channeled through the main runway, which will also suffer a temporary reduction in its useful length, going from the usual 3,300 meters to only 1,850 meters in length. This drastic decrease in available surface area poses severe restrictions for safe takeoffs and landings, altering the routine of the region’s main international connection node.

This has already impacted the schedule of the main airlines, with a scenario that combines direct cancellations, rescheduling and emergency stopovers. International companies such as Emirates or Air Canada will cut their usual routes to Buenos Aires, ending their routes in Brazil, while airlines such as Iberia and American Airlines will reduce their frequencies and will be forced to add technical stops in Montevideo or Rio de Janeiro for refueling, because large aircraft will not be able to take off with a full load from the reduced runway.