Aerocafé, An Airport That Champions Economic Inclusion and Gender Equity

The results of this consultancy will be essential inputs for the Aeropuerto del Café Association, in conjunction with Colombia’s Ministry of Transport, Civil Aviation Authority and the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI), to determine the feasibility of the project and to advance its objective of building an airport that improves connectivity in the region. Another goal of the project is to enhance opportunities of agricultural, tourist and productive activities in the coffee producing region, thus fostering inclusive economic development, especially of small producers.

Based on the current needs of the project, the consultancy was structured as follows:

• Phase 1, which includes the verification, review and validation of existing studies and designs for Stages I and II of the project (landing strip stretches of 1,460 and 2,600 meters, respectively). Additional and/or missing studies will also be identified, a contract management model for the construction and operation of the project will be suggested, and an airport planning document will be produced.
  
  
• Phase 2, which will be developed if recommended based on the results of Phase 1, includes the validation and adjustments of studies and designs for technical, legal, financial, property, environmental, social and feasibility risk and socio-economic design, which could lead to the granting of a concession for the project under a PPP scheme, for construction and operation.

This consultancy is a pioneering proposal in Colombia as it incorporates the cross-cutting issue of gender and inclusion in an airport project, which is an indispensable principle in all projects underpinned by the Prosperity Fund, and will improve gender equity and promote social inclusion in the area of influence of the project. In addition, a strong emphasis will be placed on compliance with environmental standards, in order to design an environmentally sustainable project.

The British Ambassador to Colombia, Colin Martin-Reynolds CMG noted that he is “excited about the start of a key project for the country, as indicated in the National Development Plan. This project will have a considerable impact on the economic development and livelihoods of communities in Caldas and the entire coffee producing region.”

CAF representative in Colombia, Carolina España, explained that “these feasibility studies to be carried out by the AERTEC-KPMG temporary consortium are important for the project to produce the expected impact on the development of infrastructure in this Colombian region and throughout the country.”

The manager of the airport association, Amparo Sánchez Londoño, noted that “thanks to this international cooperation, we have consultants with extensive experience in the airport sector, adding value to the design of the most important infrastructure project for the economic revival of the region.”