Latest news with #airportExpansion
Travel Weekly
28-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Inside the Puerto Vallarta airport expansion
Meagan Drillinger Puerto Vallarta's international airport is undergoing a major expansion designed to meet rising tourism demand and elevate the destination's global connectivity. The project, which includes the construction of a second terminal, is expected to double capacity and streamline the travel experience for millions of passengers annually. Terminal 2, 40% complete as of March, is on track for completion by the end of the year. Once operational, the new terminal will increase the airport's capacity to more than 8 million passengers per year. The expansion will add more than 957,000 square feet of infrastructure. According to Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP), which operates the airport, the project represents an investment of $187 million. The terminal will feature updated technology, sustainable design elements and improved services to enhance the passenger experience. Puerto Vallarta has experienced record-breaking traffic in recent years. In 2023 and 2024, Puerto Vallarta welcomed more than 6 million visitors. The growing number of international arrivals, particularly from the United States, Canada and Europe, has created an urgent need to scale up infrastructure and services. The expansion also supports broader efforts to diversify Puerto Vallarta's visitor base in order to make Puerto Vallarta more of a year-round destination. "The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board has focused on recent objectives, including a strategy to diversify its visitor base by attracting younger travelers and seeking business from South America and Europe," said Luis Villasenor, director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust. "This approach aims to offset the seasonal fluctuations in demand for the destination." The upgraded airport facilities will include expanded customs and immigration areas, modernized baggage handling, additional gates and upgraded amenities for both leisure and business travelers. Villasenor highlighted other infrastructure projects that are part of a $9.3 million investment in public infrastructure in the state of Jalisco. The projects include widened sidewalks and bike lanes; a new road node north of the airport equipped to handle 116,000 vehicles a day; and a new fleet of eco-friendly, air-conditioned buses that will launch in the second half of 2025. Another government measure to alleviate the city's traffic congestion is to develop two new docks: one in Mismaloya and the other in El Centro. These docks will connect travelers and cargo to the docks in Los Muertos, Boca de Tomatlan, Quimixto and Yelapa.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Waverley Borough Council to fight Farnborough Airport expansion
A Surrey council has voted to fight an airport's expansion Airport in Hampshire wants to increase its annual number of flights from 50,000 to 70, Borough Council in Surrey has said this will increase noise and air pollution for its residents, and is writing to the government to airport said it currently generates £1.9bn for the UK economy every year. The proposal, put to Rushmoor Borough Council in 2023, attracted protests by environmentalists outside the Follows, the leader of Waverley Borough Council, said: "Private jet travel benefits only a privileged few, but the environmental consequences will be shared by all - especially communities like ours."We're calling on our MPs and national leaders to reject this short-sighted proposal, that will fail to deliver economic growth for the public at large and prioritise the health and wellbeing of local residents and the planet."Mr Follows has written to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and Godalming and Ash MP Jeremy Hunt. Waverley is being supported by Tilford Parish Council, which said the proposed new air corridor would route flights directly over the airport has claimed its environmental impact is less than larger facilities because the aircraft it serves are smaller, and it provides 3,000 jobs.A spokesman for Farnborough Airport said: 'We remain committed to bringing forward our vision."This application has been subject to extensive consultation and we are continuing to liaise with Rushmoor Borough Council officers to enable a decision to be made later this year." Farnham and Bordon MP Greg Stafford said the airport "supports jobs and contributes significantly to the local economy" but that he shares concerns about the proposal."These plans are simply not acceptable in their current form," he added. No date has been set for the application to be heard.A spokesman for Rushmoor Borough Council said: "Rushmoor Borough Council will not be determining the Farnborough Airport Application by 30 June 2025 and is currently discussing with the airport and then with statutory consultees an appropriate revised timetable."This will be published once agreed. Any claims on the timing of the process at the moment are speculation."
Bloomberg
21-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Charlotte Taps Munis for $307 Million to Revamp Booming Airport
Charlotte, North Carolina, is booming with new residents, rising air traffic and a swelling economy. Now, the city is turning to the municipal bond market to make sure its airport can keep up. On Wednesday, the city plans to issue $307 million of airport revenue bonds to support a major expansion at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the only large hub facility in the Carolinas. The funds will help finance construction of the airport's Fourth Parallel Runway and a renovation of Concourse D.
Trade Arabia
11-05-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
RAK Airport expands sustainably using energy-efficient tech
Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (RAK Airport) has announced a major step forward in its ongoing expansion, integrating cutting-edge sustainable technology to support the Emirate's rapid development and its commitment to environmental stewardship. The airport, a key gateway to Ras Al Khaimah's growing tourism and economic sectors, will become the first in the Middle East and the wider Asian continent to implement DYNAES's innovative thermodynamic energy efficiency solutions as part of its terminal building extension, reported WAM. In response to the increasing demand for air travel and the Emirate's ambitious growth plans, Ras Al Khaimah Airport Authorities have prioritised sustainability and energy management in all phases of the airport's development. Recognising that air conditioning systems represent one of the most significant energy costs in airport operations, the project's consultants-ARTELIA Airport and STG Contracting-proposed the adoption of DYNAES technology, as recently presented at Dubai COP28, to the Civil Aviation Authorities. Sheikh Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Head of Department of Civil Aviation in Ras Al Khaimah and Chairman of the Board of the Airport, stated, 'RAK Airport joined already 2023 the Retrofit Energy Program of the Municipality and now showcases even with new technologies how aged infrastructure can level the path for sustainability.' DYNAES's patented system, developed in collaboration with leading institutions such as Mines Paris PSL, TÜV, and CNRS, consists of two components integrated before and after the condenser in thermodynamic systems. This breakthrough technology optimises the refrigerant and lubricating oil mixture, significantly enhancing thermal performance without increasing compressor power consumption or requiring additional electronic controls. As Professor Assaad Zoughaib, Head of Research Laboratory at Mines Paris PSL, stated, 'We consider the technology developed by Dyane's as a major scientific breakthrough in the field of thermodynamics.' The benefits of this system are both immediate and substantial, offering enhanced reliability, availability and maintainability (R.A.M.), along with significant energy savings, particularly under demanding conditions. It contributes to improved EBITDA with minimal capital expenditure and is widely applicable across various sectors, including climate control, data centres, commercial and industrial refrigeration, and refrigerated transportation. DYNAES's solution delivers a positive environmental impact by reducing CO₂ emissions. If deployed across the estimated 2.2 billion thermodynamic systems worldwide, this technology could achieve annual savings of up to 7% of global emissions-equivalent to the combined emissions of the internet and air traffic sectors. The implementation at Ras Al Khaimah International Airport is supported by Airchal, a global leader in air handling solutions with over 60 years of expertise, and Takyeef Factory. With manufacturing sites in France and Abu Dhabi, this partnership ensures robust support for the introduction and development of DYNAES technology in the Middle East market.
Telegraph
10-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Heathrow warned it cannot afford a third runway
Heathrow has been warned that it cannot afford a third runway without loading the business with billions of pounds more debt. In a damning new report, the ratings agency S&P Global said the planned expansion will potentially imperil the airport by significantly increasing its borrowings, which are are already as high as nearly £20bn. As well as increasing debts, S&P said the project would also lead to higher passenger charges at Heathrow, which are already among the highest in Europe. According to S&P, this 'could lead to a weakening of Heathrow's competitive position relative to other European hubs' – raising fresh concerns over the airport's status as a global transport hub. Heathrow has insisted that the planned expansion will not need any financial support from the taxpayer, although S&P claims it will not be able to afford a third runway without a significant cash injection from its shareholders. The airport's backers are largely made up of overseas investors, led by French private equity giant Ardian, the Qatar Investment Authority and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. S&P said: 'Notwithstanding Heathrow's strong regulatory environment and superior competitive position, we believe that our issue ratings on Heathrow's debt have limited headroom for significant additional leverage. 'In our view, the new runway would be difficult to finance without strong equity backing.' Concerns over how Heathrow will pay for a third runway have emerged just months after Chancellor Rachel Reeves backed the £20bn project, as she stepped up efforts to boost economic growth. Heathrow is set to submit plans for the expansion later this year, with chief executive Thomas Woldbye claiming that the third runway could be in use by 2035. Plans could see the airport's capacity increase from 80m passengers a year to 140m in an expansion costing between £20bn and £25bn, according to S&P. Mr Woldbye has said that a third runway would lead to lower air fares for passengers because it would remove flight capacity limits that are responsible for inflating prices. Meanwhile, the airport's latest annual reports show that Heathrow has just over £19bn worth of debt across the business, which led to more than £600m in finance costs last year alone. However, these did not prevent the airport from posting profits of £917m from total revenues of £3.6bn. A Heathrow spokesman said: 'Expanding Heathrow will be entirely privately funded, and as such must be financeable. Policy changes, including adjustments to the regulatory regime for a third runway, will be key to delivering the project successfully.'
