Colombia launches US$100mn tender to upgrade Cartagena airport

Colombian infrastructure agency ANI has announced the launch of a tender to contract a concessionaire for Rafael Núñez airport in Cartagena and carry out upgrades, the cost of which is estimated at 490bn pesos (US$104mn).

"At the national infrastructure agency, we are pleased to announce the start of the tender," ANI president William Camargo said in a release.

According to the official schedule, offers will be received for the 8.5-year concession in May and the contract is expected to be awarded midway through the year.

The upgrades involve building a new 17,000m2 international terminal, expanding the main areas to 100,000m2 and remodeling the current terminal.

The works are part of the 5G infrastructure concession program and are aimed at meeting growing air traffic in the Caribbean region, as well as improving the operating conditions of the airport.

The pre-construction stage is expected to take one year and construction works are estimated to require 2.5 years.

Also in Colombia's Caribbean region, President Gustavo Petro's government is looking to push forward with works on a new airport to serve Cartagena called Citadel and a 2.83bn-peso project to build a new air terminal for Bayunca, which is currently in the pre-feasibility stage, according to statements made late last year by transport minister Guillermo Reyes.