Is Bogota Going to Build a Second International Airport?

BY STAFF REPORT

The Colombian government is reportedly contemplating building one more airport in Bogota as the capital’s newly inaugurated El Dorado International Airport has already grown  overcrowded following an  increase in air travelers in the Latin American country.

The El Dorado Airport was designed to handle 15 million passengers annually by 2014. But, according to Colombia Reports, over  21 million passengers passed through the airport in 2012.

The new international terminal, inaugurated in October 2012, has almost the same number of gates as the old terminal.

The government is also contemplating shifting to a new venue – at  the Colombian military’s transport command (Catam) at El Dorado – so it can free up more space for air passengers.

According to reports, airlines have to land on remote parts of the airport and bus their passengers to the terminal. (Editor’s Note: Does anyone notice how Avianca flights are processed more rapidly than JetBlue and other foreign carriers?)

Also, a new domestic terminal is set to open near the international airport – by  2014.