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AERIS was the designated organizer by the Airports Council International (ACI).

Implementation of technological advances in airports came to Costa Rica with Airport Day

• For the first time in the country, the ACI Airport Day Pura Vida was held, which brought together more than 100 national and international guests.
• World leaders shared their experiences in cybersecurity, biometrics and new technologies to streamline airport processes and improve the passenger experience.

March, 2023. Costa Rica hosted for the first time the ACI Airport Day Pura Vida, an event that brings together leading airport industry executives, civil aviation authorities, suppliers, consultants and international experts from other airports in the adoption and incorporation of new technologies.

“Costa Rica’s airport sector is already a reference in the region, deserving of multiple awards. As part of this continuous development through technology, ACI presents itself in the country as an ally in this process, making itself available to the operators and authorities of the sector through our global experience and being the voice of the airports in the world,” said Rafael Echevarne, executive director of ACI-LAC.

The logistics consisted of different blocks of discussion and presentation of technological advances to streamline airport processes, as well as to provide an agile and innovative experience to passengers.

The topics were addressed by more than 100 guests, including international specialists and local authorities such as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC), the Technical Council of Civil Aviation (CETAC), the Directorate of Immigration, among others.

“We can assure that the first ACI Airport Day Pura Vida was a success, in which we appreciate the participation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), government authorities from Uruguay, Aruba, Dominican Republic, United States, Germany, among others, as well as experts in airport technology who shared their valuable knowledge,” said Ricardo Hernandez, general director of AERIS, interested manager of the Juan Santamaria International Airport and organizer of this milestone.

High-standard forum. The event was held at the Convention Center and began at 9 am with opening remarks by Ricardo Hernandez of AERIS, followed by Rafael Echevarne, executive director of ACI-LAC, Allison Aymerich, president of CETAC and Marlen Luna, director of the General Directorate of Immigration and Foreigners.

Topics such as the implementation of automated border control systems and an analysis of the latest developments in solutions for this area by the ICAO were discussed.

Success stories were also presented on the implementation of biometric processes in the airports of the United States, Montevideo, Aruba, Punta Cana and Narita, as well as the experiences of the airports of Quito and Munich in cybersecurity and the implementation of technology in different processes, respectively.

Among the international speakers who covered these contents were:

• Santiago Andrade, director of Information Technology and Telecommunications at Corporación Quiport.
• Agustín Arellano, president and CEO Houston Airport System
• Federico Cabrera, manager of Operations and Passenger Experience at Carrasco International Airport in Uruguay
• Camilo Cárdenas, senior manager, Business Development and Government, SITA
• Angeline Flemming, Director of Health, Safety & Security, Queen Beatrix International Airport
• Marcelo García, senior director of InterVISTAS Consulting
• Daniel Gumberger, senior consultant Munich Airport
• Andrew Hoo, acting director of Immigration Services Aruba
• Pablo Jury, Marketing & Channel manager for Latin America at Thales
• Christine Kaarsbaan-Leo, Sustainability & Health manager Queen Beatrix International Airport
• Larry Panetta, Director of Biometric Entry – Exit Transformation for U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• José María Peral, Regional Officer, Aviation Security and Facilitation, ICAO
• Sebastian Pinchinatti, Business Development Director, Amadeus
• Joan Rojas, partner at ALG
• Alejandro Ruiz, Senior Commissioner of the National Directorate of Migration in Uruguay
• Rafael Alberto Smith, Director of Landside Operations & Cargo at Punta Cana International Airport
• Floreal Suárez, director of the Specialized Airport and Civil Aviation Security Corps (CESAC) in the Dominican Republic.

The culmination of the event corresponded to a panel called: Costa Rica…A look into the future, where the next steps of the industry in the country were discussed with the participation of representatives of Immigration, DGAC, CETAC, the International Airlines Association, the International Air Transport Association and AERIS.

Good country reputation.

The fact that Costa Rica was designated as the venue for the event confirms the confidence in the work carried out by the industry in our country.

For example, the Juan Santamaría Airport was chosen as the best in Central America and the Caribbean in the World Airport Awards 2022, and was also recognized as one of the best in Latin America and the Caribbean in the category of between 5 and 15 million passengers as part of the “Airport Services Quality Awards”.

It is also evidence of the potential that industry players see for our country. This is because ACI-LAC, the regional office of this important association of airport operators that made this selection, represents more than 325 airports in 34 countries, which manage 95% of commercial air traffic in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Although during a visit last year ACI specialists highlighted the operational security of the Juan Santamaría International Airport, at AERIS we will continue to focus on providing greater passenger comfort, improving service and processing through innovations such as web-check in, use of kiosks, immigration procedures through biometrics, among others,” said Juan Belliard, Director of Operations and Security of AERIS.

About AERIS Costa Rica

AERIS HOLDING COSTA RICA, a company of the CCR Group of Brazil, is the Interested Manager in charge of providing services at Juan Santamaría International Airport and is responsible for the operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, construction, financing and promotion of Costa Rica’s main air terminal.

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 participation in the international airports of Quito Ecuador, Curacao and Belo Horizonte in Brazil. The Manager seeks to exceed the standards of its contract (CGI), contribute to the growth of the country, through the efficient operation of the service, in a leading and safe airport in Latin America.

Currently, the SJO connects Costa Rica with 35 destinations around the world; 25 international commercial airlines and four domestic airlines operate at its facilities.