A US company has submitted an environmental impact study to build an international airport in Limón, Costa Rica, which will have a 4-kilometer runway, an 18,000 square meter passenger terminal and a 30,000 square meter warehouse.

The firm Mel Group ELM SA, which already presented a proposal to finance the development of the project in 2015, submitted the environmental impact study (EIA) to the Setena.

According to the EIA, the airport, which is planned to be built in Saborío de Matina, some 25 kilometers from the port of Moín, will be Multimodal, category 4-F, and will be used for transporting air cargo and passengers. The document indicates that   “…The project was formulated in a technically positioned geographical area, which will link the region’s cargo transport and act as a Node, reactivating dynamics and air, port and rail connectivity.“

The air terminal will have a 4-kilometer runway, capable of handling large-tonnage aircraft, such as an Airbus A380 or similar. The design also includes a 30,000 m² warehouse, a hotel for passengers in transit, a 18,500 m² passenger terminal, and a 23,000 m² public parking area, for a total of 560 cars, with a partially covered area.

Regarding the location of the airport, the EIA states that “…After analyzing several location proposals in conjunction with the General Directorate of Civil Aviation of Costa Rica … it was concluded that the best location is in SABORIO DE MATINA, where there is a property of almost 324 hectares currently used for agriculture, irregularly shaped and with flat topography, with the perfect characteristics for the location of a class 4-F airport.“

Estimated investment: $700 million (does not include the cost of the properties).