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AERIS was one of the platinum sponsors of IATA Aviation Day Costa Rica

Costa Rica was the destination of a prestigious international event about the future of aviation.

• In its return after four years, Aviation Day Costa Rica convened ministers, aeronautical authorities, embassy representatives, airlines, among others.
• Challenges and opportunities to reach the country’s aviation potential, as well as the importance of the industry for the development of the region were some of the topics discussed at the forum.

September, 2023. After several years of absence, this Tuesday, September 19, Costa Rica once again hosted the IATA Aviation Day, an event that brings together the main executives of the airport and tourism industry, as well as public sector leaders and international experts to interact about the challenges and opportunities of aviation.

“These events are held with the objective of creating a framework for meeting and constructive dialogue to agree on actions that allow the aviation industry to continue to be for Costa Rica, and Central America in general, a strategic partner of social connection and an engine of development,” said David Hernandez, manager Central America, Cuba, Ecuador and Venezuela of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

IATA, as organizer of Aviation Day, was in charge of welcoming and closing the forum, through Peter Cerdá, its Regional Vice President for the Americas, and David Hernández, its manager for Central America, Cuba, Ecuador and Venezuela.

In front of more than 300 guests, different blocks of conversation focused on the status and potential of a key industry such as aviation, which before the pandemic contributed 155,000 direct and indirect jobs and 9% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country.

Ricardo Hernández, executive director of AERIS, manager of Juan Santamaría International Airport and one of the platinum sponsors of Aviation Day, said: “We are pleased that Juan Santamaría International Airport has become an example of the reactivation of the sector. This shows that our mission to exceed the expectations of the Stakeholder Management Contract has constantly led us to ask ourselves what more we can do to contribute to the country’s competitiveness, and these types of forums are relevant to find those answers.”

High standards forum. At around 9:30 am, the first forum entitled: ‘Challenges and priorities for air transportation in Costa Rica’ began, with the participation of Luis Amador, Minister of Public Works and Transportation, and William Rodriguez, Minister of Tourism, among others.

The event continued with topics such as ‘Air connectivity and competitiveness for the development of Central America’, as well as ‘Tourism and aviation: development enhancers in the countries’.

There was also a space called ‘Effective regulation to promote aviation in Costa Rica’, in which Fernando Naranjo, director of Civil Aviation, intervened.

One of the main features of the Aviation Days are the notable panelists participating. Among the international speakers who covered these contents were:

• Adolfo Aragon, Senior Vice President of Universal Weather & Aviation Inc.
• Alicia Lines, Regional Director of Distribution, IATA
• Carlos Granados, general manager of United Airlines
• Dionisio Pérez-Jácome, Vice President, Corporate Development and Sustainability, Volaris
• Eva Felicia Martinez, Ambassador of Spain in Costa Rica
• Francisco Lima-Mena, SIECA Secretary General
• Frederico Pedreira, Deputy CEO, Avianca
• Gustavo Santos, Regional Director, Regional Department for the Americas UNWTO
• Marcela Toriello, Chairman of the Board and CEO TAG Airlines
• Marina Colunga, Iberia’s Commercial Director for Latin America
• Nicholas Reyes, Western Hemisphere Director, Federal Aviation Administration Office of International Affairs
• Roberto Echandi, Investment Policy Leader World Bank
• Ronny Rodríguez, Director of Corporate Development, Volaris
• Viviana Martin, Global Director of Government Relations Avianca

The culmination of the meeting corresponded to a panel called: ‘Operational needs to enhance aviation in Costa Rica’, where the next steps of the industry were presented by Ricardo Hernandez; Camilo Martelo, director of International Airports of Spirit Airlines; Juan Carlos Trabanino, executive director of COCESNA; Cesar Jaramillo, CEO of Coriport and Uriel Torres, director of SITA for Mexico, Central America, Colombia and the Caribbean.

Connection with sustainability.  Also within the framework of this event, on September 18, the first Sustainability Meeting was held to evaluate the challenges and opportunities that will enable Costa Rica to become a sustainable tourism destination, and how the travel and tourism sector can contribute to this goal.

Adriana Bejarano, head of Environment, Health and Safety of AERIS participated in the forum on behalf of the AIJS manager, together with specialists from the Airports Council International, IATA, DGAC, among others.

“Airport sustainability is the path we have set for ourselves to operate Juan Santamaría International Airport. We are convinced that the social, environmental and economic action we have taken has already been transcendental, but we want to continue generating a positive impact on our communities, which is why this type of space is essential to achieve this goal,” said Bejarano.

About AERIS Costa Rica

AERIS HOLDING COSTA RICA is a company of the CCR Group, which operates under the management model interested in the Juan Santamaría International Airport (AIJS), being in charge of its operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, construction, financing and promotion.

The company seeks to exceed the expectations of its stakeholder management contract in a transversal manner to sustainability, generating social, environmental and economic value. AERIS is committed to providing a “Pura Vida” travel experience for passengers transiting through the main gateway to the country and to generate positive impact to Costa Rica and its stakeholders.

AERIS draws on the experience of its parent companies: HAS Development Corporation and Grupo CCR of Brazil, the latter as the main shareholder and with stakes in the international airports of Quito Ecuador, Curacao and Belo Horizonte in Brazil.

It currently connects Costa Rica with 36 destinations around the world, through 25 international commercial airlines and two domestic airlines that operate in its facilities.