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Today we review the importance of the reactivation of the Los Perales Airport of Saint Vincent, located in the province of Manabí, which has been a fundamental part of the history Ecuadorian aviation.
Photo: credits to the author
Before moving on, we must indicate that as such, this airport is up and running, but under uncontrolled aerodrome conditions and with serious operational safety problems, How is the impact on your runway?, enclosure, facilities, etc.
With this introduction, It is important to understand that the objective of this publication is to make visible the feeling of the North Pacific Commonwealth of Manabi and of its intentions to achieve an optimal start-up of these facilities that have an interesting potential for economic and social development for its area of influence.
Reactivation Los Perales Airport
Moving forward with this post, The Commonwealth has shared very interesting data with this space and several concerns have been answered, which process to share them with the entire community for a better understanding of this project:
Why the reactivation of Los Perales Airport is essential
The results of the pre-feasibility study carried out in the 2022, allow us to recognize that the reactivation of Los Perales Airport, It can become a solid strategy for the economic and social reactivation of the North-Central Manabí, your security against natural phenomena, as well as an efficient scenario to face the wave of insecurity that affects the coast of the Ecuador.
On the economic and social benefits
The economic impact of the reactivation of this operation and all the elements that are part of it, will benefit more than 200.000 people, that are part of the nascent Northern Pacific Commonwealth of Manabí, integrated by the cantons of Sucre, st vincent, Jama and Flints, as well as about 200.000 residents of the Chone and Bolívar cantons, that is, a benefited population of more than 500.000 population.
Los Perales Airport seeks to serve, principally, to three market segments:
- residents of the north-central area of Manabí;
- tourists and
- owners of houses and apartments located between Sucre and Pedernales who do not reside in the area and,
Given that the market segment made up of these non-residents in the area of influence of the Airport, could be the most consolidated for the use of its air mobility, A census was carried out that made it possible to determine that it is a market made up of 4.000 people per year.
It was estimated that the 25% of them would use the airport in 18 weeks a year (18.000 annual passengers) and that 10% of this population would fly to Los Perales to visit their residences during the 34 remaining weeks (13600 annual passengers, totalizing 31600 annual passengers representing 2633 monthly passengers).
This projection did not include the owners of homes located between the Cojimíes parishes, to the north, and Charapotó, to the south and national and foreign tourists and residents of the north-central zone of Manabí have not been included either., certainly by including them, the number of passengers and flights would increase.
The estimated cost of the investment necessary to reactivate Los Perales Airport is $5.425.764. The studies carried out allow us to support that its operation could generate a surplus of more than $100.000 per year which makes it interesting for a private operator.
On the capacity to respond to natural phenomena
The northern area of Manabí has been affected by natural phenomena such as El Niño in the years 1982/1983 and 1997/1998 and in the earthquakes of the year 1998 from 7,5 and the one of the year 2016 from 7,8. During these natural phenomena, Los Perales Airport was the only means of transportation that allowed aid to be brought and connected the northern area of Manabí with the rest of the country and the world..
seismic conditions in the area, They state that this need for air autonomy for the northern and central areas of Manabí, is still indispensable.
On the possibility of an immediate response to hospital health demands
The north-central zone of Manabí does not currently have fully operational hospitals of the first order, an airport would make it possible to have an ambulance-hospital and serve a population that continuously demands these services and does not have them.
On the integration with the Manta International Airport to promote regional tourism networks
The General Eloy Alfaro de Manta Airports and Los Perales de San Vicente, far from competing, can complement each other, However, We must also reflect on the competitive advantages of large airports such as the one in Manta. This is based more on the great airport infrastructure offered by the airport of Manta and passengers with their choice of destination for departure to Galapagos and/or international.
What's more, this international airport will have a lot of bargaining power with the airlines, of course in the case that the General Eloy Alfaro Airport have an airport service concessionaire, what includes: the development, design, financing, construction, operation, administration and maintenance. Other advantages should be seen among these 2 airports and is more based on the capacity and flight autonomy of the planes, that can land with the existing runways, are for example:
- The international airport of Manta can receive aircraft such as the B777 and the B787 Dreamliner (equivalent to the A350) with capacity of 250 a 280 passengers. This means high-capacity, long-range aircraft., be it transpacific or transatlantic and of at least 10 a 12 hours of autonomy.
- Los Perales de San Vicente airport, It is considered at some point that it be regional (with maximum aircraft 3 a 4 hours of autonomy and where it could be said that they can fulfill as a regional airport (possibly with smaller aircraft type B737 of 120 passengers. Nevertheless, for now, there is a demand pre-study that gives as results that it can land 2 times a week from Quito an ATR 42-500, with capacity of 48 seating. For his part, the airport will have different compositions of aircraft.
- The Los Perales airport runway has a runway expansion limitation (for the shrimp farms), thus limiting the size of aircraft that could land here.
- It is considered that smaller airports such as Los Perales would be impossible to have an "airline of origin" or rather to become a hub for international flights.. That is what the Manta airport is for, which has a large capacity..
Ways you can complement the 2 airports:
- With a flexible strategy design, In the future, it is possible to think that the Los Perales de San Vicente airport could help to relieve traffic congestion towards the General Eloy Alfaro de Manta airport.. Even when the Manta airport maintains a lot of air traffic, Los Perales airport would make it easier for many small airlines or low-cost charter planes to enter Manabí.
- The Los Perales runway in San Vicente can serve as backup to any emergency that exists at the Manta airport or any airline.
- Small private planes could be placed in hangars in Los Perales, contributing to the need to use the space in Manta. Even larger commercial aircraft if the Manta airport concessionaire deems it necessary.
- Can small planes departing from Los Perales feed flights to the Manta airport that have the Galapagos Islands as their final destination. Possibly passengers going or coming from the Latitudº Iche Tourist Route could also have an easy option to get to Manta for their flight to the archipelago and even international outbound flights from the General Eloy Alfaro airport..
- Los Perales airport would be supported by a Destination Management Organization with its own promotional fund. This would make it possible to contribute to publicity projects in cooperation with the Manta OGD to support greater efficiency in the arrival strategies of national and international visitors to the region..
- Towards the future, private management of Los Perales Airport would open an opportunity for commercial growth along with greater efficiency, performance, management and service quality. This improves the perception of the Manabí airport infrastructure in general.
Airports are important hubs for humanitarian assistance and disaster response.. When in the El Niño event 97-98, all connectivity connection with the northern Pacific area of Manabí was lost. were more than 3 months the roads were impassable. This made it impossible to reach Manta and when it was needed it was done by sea and by air.. further, the situation of a post-earthquake period and added the Covid-19 pandemic needed an airport in the region providing accessibility and catalyzing this economy. That is why the importance of the Los Perales de San Vicente airport and the benefit it can provide to the General Eloy Alfaro de Manta International Airport.
How to move forward?
- The North Pacific Commonwealth of Manabí- MANPANOR, institution in charge of the pre-feasibility study and leading this initiative, The Minister of Public Works and Transport sent a letter, requesting that you authorize the performance of a feasibility study which would be sponsored by the USTDA (Federal Trade and Development Agency of the United States of America).
- It is essential to have a feasibility study of Los Perales Airport, that allows to know precisely its connectivity and potential impact.
- In parallel, MANPANOR plans to establish a Joint Airport Authority that will allow progress towards a delegation process for a more decentralized and privately operated management of Los Perales Airport.
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The studies that support the pre-feasibility study have been prepared thanks to the support of Orazio Bellettini Cedeño, Eduardo Emanuele, Fausto Erazo, Need Otero, Patrick Tamariz, Fausto Erazo Jr., Santiago Game, Arturo Cox with the support of the San Vicente Municipal GAD, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, Indubellco Cia. Ltd, Costa Jama and FE Consultants and Builders. Promoting Committee for the Reactivation of Los Perales Airport
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