Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) has announced that the construction works of the new Metropolitan International Airport will start next year. The first stage of the terminal is scheduled to be fully operational by 2027.

The project will be structured as a PPP with an estimated investment of around US$3.5 billion. The airport will be constructed in the Alajuela canton of Orotina, 60 km from San José.

According to the government of Costa Rica, the proposed location has the best characteristics for the airport plot, allowing planes to take off carrying more payload and also to reach more distant destinations. The area is free of natural obstacles such mountains or high buildings.

The British firm Mott MacDonald has been appointed to carry out the basic design, site studies and master plan of the site. Mott MacDonald has estimated an investment of US$41.3 million for the purchase of all properties required for the project development. The airport plot will have a total area of 1,500 ha.

The consulting firm projects a demand of 7.8 million passengers for the first year of operation, with envisaged growth to some 20 million in 2047 and to 50 million by the end of the century. The new airport would have the capacity to operate at least 38 flights per hour: 21 departures and 17 arrivals.