The Albrook Airport Will Only Operate for Five More Years Before Relocating as a Result of the Much Anticipated Panama-David Train
President Mulino reported that the analysis prepared by ‘a top-level international firm’ concluded that the project is viable.
The Albrook Airport (Marcos A. Gelabert International Airport) in Panama City is proposed to be relocated to the Panama Pacífico International Airport to make way for the central station of the massive new Panama-David railway project as pictured below. The potential relocation has been heavily discussed for several key reasons:
- The Panama-David Train Project: The government’s railway office has identified the current Albrook Airport land as the most viable space to construct a major central station to connect the capital with the western provinces.
- Relocation to Panama Pacífico: Under current proposals, the regional flights, charter services, and local aviation training schools operating at Albrook would need to be transferred to the Panama Pacífico facility across the Panama Canal.
- Timeline Uncertainty: While the five-year timeline has sparked discussions among government officials, the Autoridad Aeronáutica Civil (AAC) has recently invested over $4 million into Albrook’s infrastructure and passenger terminal. This has resulted in ongoing debate, with local aviation coalitions objecting to moving an already bustling and highly convenient hub without finalized planning.
The Marcos A. Gelabert International Airport in Albrook will gradually cease operations to make way for the main station of the Panama-David train, as confirmed by Henry Faarup, general secretary of the Panama Railway. “Why? Because we want to keep the Albrook runway operating for the next five years and make a planned transfer so that everyone who uses that runway goes to Panama Pacifico,” Faarup said during the Sunday program Open Debate.
Design and Artist Rendering of the Future Panama-David Railway Sation in Albrook
