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There is also a plan to enlarge the docking platform to accommodate more than one large-scale aircraft for refueling or maintenance procedures.
Tourism in the area needs more than just an investment in a new airport, said Esquivel, who described an incident in 2007 in which a Boeing 737 arrived asking for 200 packaged meals. No restaurant in David is capable of serving that amount of food.
“The Canadian passengers left hungry because all we had to serve them was fuel,” she said.
Sam Taliafero has his own take on the idea . . .
As a developer and resort operator this should come as welcome news, but I am skeptical. International airlines are not going to schedule flights to this area until there are a lot more beach resorts to attract them and that is many years away if ever. There is a 60 room resort at Las Olas and several small B&Bs at Boca Chica, but you need 200-300 room operations to justify the flights.
So, what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Realistically resorts and the airport have to come at the same time. The huge success of the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica where they built the Liberia International airport came at the same time that large scale developments and resorts were being planned. Certainly if the government made the commitment both politically and financially to do it, the other players would come and develop the needed infrastructure, but this will take years. At least 4-5 before anything could be purchased, permitted and constructed. The developers have to commit a certain number of seats before any airline will commit to a route and that commitment must be backed up with a bond. Right now the airlines are cutting back flights to mega resorts in the Caribbean because of high fuel costs and slower travel market. It will take a bold developer indeed to commit to building a $30-50 million dollar project in slow economic times.
But if the minister wants to make some improvements to the airport, here are a few suggestions that would cost very little and would improve the image of our province greatly.
A realistic luggage system instead of the archaic hole in the wall with a man calling out your luggage number while you fight your way through the crowd to get to your bags.
Upgrade the immigration area to handle the 20 or so passengers arriving from Costa Rica. Last time I flew in we waited about 1 1/2 hours for the one window to check our passports and someone to open each and every bag and inspect them for contraband.
Make sure the plumbing works in the bathrooms and design it so the door to the bathroom is not a view to the urinals when it opens.
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