Bringing Progress to the Colombian Amazon
THE GREATEST OF CHALLENGES
Less than two kilometers from the meandering Amazon River , on the Colombia-Brazil-Peru border – on the road to Tarapacá – , stands the Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport, the largest in the Colombian department of Amazonas, in the south of the country. This is the largest direct investment by the National Government in airport infrastructure in recent years; a contrast of modernity settled in the jungle fury of Leticia, the city where it is located.
The project includes the construction of a 10,887 square meters new passenger terminal, located to the east of the original building, as well as perimeter platforms and the new control tower. At the same time, the project is complemented by access roads and a parking lot, as well as wide green areas and pedestrian paths that connect it not only to Leticia, but to the neighboring Brazilian city of Tabatinga.
CHALLENGES IN THE SOUTH OF THE CONTINENT
The Alfredo Vásquez Cobo Airport is part of Meco’s expansion to the south of the continent, where Colombia has become a prosperous field for the company. The total investment is approximately $US 50 million.
The story goes that even in the middle of the last century, air communications between the Colombian capital, Bogotá, Leticia and the nearby cities were made through small amphibious aircrafts, such as the PBY Catalina. This was a small aircraft with very little cargo capacity that would land in the abundant waters of the Amazon.
And although that obstacle had already been overcome at the beginning of this project, the logistical and engineering challenge faced by Meco was still a big deal. At first, it was about developing an international airport in the middle of a jungle area with only river and air access routes. For this reason, the precise logistics that mediated to bringing materials from countries such as Brazil and Peru became relevant; this was a challenge that Meco faced and solved thanks to its vast experience working in complex geographic access projects throughout Central America.
Certainly, the construction of the Alfredo Vásquez Cobo Airport has boosted and enhanced the already existing border interactions between Colombia , Brazil and Peru. As a project of high social and infrastructure impact, this is a milestone that Meco wants to make known to the world.
