Uruguay inaugurates the first binational airport in Latin America and the second globally.

Uruguay inaugurated the first bi-national airport in Latin America in the department of Rivera, where domestic operations to and from Brazil will be carried out, as well as passenger and cargo transit between that country and Uruguay. This undertaking results from a commitment made in January of this year by Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou and his Brazilian counterpart Luis Inácio “Lula” da Silva.

The works executed for a total of US$ 13 million and managed by Aeropuertos Uruguay included the modernization and expansion of the passenger terminal and building improvements in the control tower, as well as the installation of renewed aeronautical communications equipment, including an internal fiber optic network. The Gómez Platero architectural firm carried out the project.

With a commitment to technology and sustainability, the aeronautical infrastructure was also improved with the resurfacing of the main runway, the installation of LED beaconing on the runway and taxiways, and LED lighting on the apron. In addition, the National Air Police infrastructure was upgraded, and a new Fire Department was built according to International Civil Aviation Organization regulations.

“There is a real physical integration that the limits of the maps do not respect,” said the Uruguayan President during the inauguration. He also highlighted the future works in which both countries work together, such as the second bridge over the Yaguarón River and the dredging of the Merín Lagoon, contributing to regional integration.

In addition to being international, the airport will be binational, meaning that commercial and cargo flights arriving from Brazil and departing to Brazil will be considered domestic or internal, which means that they will be taxed at a lower rate, thus strengthening the flow of passengers and cargo between both countries.

The inauguration of this new air terminal is another step in the development and modernization of Uruguay’s aeronautical infrastructure and its national system of international airports. Under the management of Aeropuertos Uruguay, the country has eight air terminals: Carrasco International Airport, Punta del Este, Carmelo, Salto, Durazno, Melo, Paysandú and Rivera. Aeropuertos Uruguay, a company

The inauguration was attended by the Secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado, and the Ministers of National Defense, Javier García; Foreign Affairs, Omar Paganini; Transportation and Public Works, José Luis Falero; Industry, Energy and Mining, Elisa Facio; Labor and Social Security, Pablo Mieres; and Tourism, Tabaré Viera, among other authorities of the Executive Branch. Also present were the director of Corporación América Airports in Uruguay, Diego Arrosa, and the mayor of Rivera, Richard Sander.

From Brazil, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, the Minister of Social Communication, Paulo Pimenta, the Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, and the Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, attended the event.

Sources: Presidency