QCOSTARICA — The repairs to the runway at the Guanacaste Airpoty (LIR) in Liberia were achieved in record time thanks to donations from two private companies.
Due to the heavy rains affecting the province of Guanacaste in recent days, airport operations were shut down last Friday and Saturday and again this past Monday and Tuesday, stranding thousands of tourists who could not leave Costa Rica and thousands more with plans to visit. Also, a number of Costa Ricans were stranded in tourist destinations, not being able to return home.
Read more: Closure of Guanacaste Airport will continue until Thursday
– Advertisement –
On Wednesday, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT), detailed that the Pedregal company donated the asphalt and MECO construction company loaned the machinery.
“In the state of emergency, in which these types of donations are being made, it does not imply any expense for the DGAC or any other institution, the coordination with our maintenance personnel and the attention to the repairs carried out were only with Civil Aviation officials,” said Luis Miranda, deputy general director of the DGAC.
The repairs took a total of 32.5 hours, a little less than half the maximum time granted by the airlines, as reported by the Minister of the MOPT, Mauricio Batalla.
“This is how we must work for the country; “We are saying: ‘Look, we are helping, it is a national emergency.’ It is really an honor to be able to mention them, and hopefully many other companies, not only with this type of problem, but with many other problems that the country has, can raise their hand,” said the minister.
The repairs were carried out while the authorities managed to define a company that can provide the service permanently after the suspension of the current contract.
Amador and Batalla clash
The damage to the runway at the Guanacaste Airport generated a series of accusations between the current MOOT Minister, his predecessor Luis Amador, and legislators.
– Advertisement –
The former minister accused that the runway is at its maximum capacity and hundreds of people are at risk with a damaged infrastructure.
He even asserted that the facility reached the end of its useful life and called on the authorities to communicate the type of damage that the terminal had.
Previously, legislators said that the closure of Guanacaste Airport was due to a lack of coordination by the authorities, generating “great uncertainty.”
– Advertisement –
“Thousands of passengers are being affected by the closure of operations at the Guancaste Airport. The government is acting with total irresponsibility, making the situation worse!” claimed Alejandra Larios, legislator of the Partido Liberación Nacional (PLN) .
For his part, Minister Batalla noted the comments by his predecessor and the legislator as “pure populism.”
– Advertisement –
Source link
Rico
