BBP Alert, Meetings in Mexico City with Mexican Officials. 06/02/14
Claudia and I met with Mexican Officials in Mexico City last week. Meetings took
place at the DGAC’s offices and the Department of Tourism’s offices. Subjects
addressed were:
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Mexico’s eAPIS
Questionable charges by Immigration
Concerns regarding the rapid growth of airport closures
The status of the license we are working on
Ways to accelerate the licensing of closed airports
Meeting with Sub Director of Airports, DGAC office, MX City
The Sub Director, three of his assistants, Claudia, myself, and two persons from
our legal team based in Mexico City met to discuss the number of small airports
that are now closed due to the lack of licensing as well as more that will follow.
We also discussed the progress that they are making on our application for the
licensing of Punta Final.
The BBP pointed out that of the 117 small airports that had been licensed in Baja
within the past 10 years, only 23 remain open with a current license. In the full
report that we provided, it was indicated that almost all of the most popular strips
have been closed. These include:
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Serenidad
Bay of LA
Alfonsina’s
Punta Bufeo
El Socorro
Punta San Francisquito
Santa Ines
Cielito Lindo
Lorenzos
Meling
Todos Santos
Bahia de las Ballenas
Cadeje
and more
These are now closed because of lack of license thusly cutting off the
contribution to the economy of these small villages and small resort destinations
by aircraft tourist traffic.
I indicated that we needed their help to simplify and accelerate the licensing
process.
They fully understand the need and concern and indicated that they will work with
us in our efforts to open up closed airports.
They also indicated that they will now be granting 15 year permits instead of the
5 year permit that they have in the past so once a strip is opened, it will have 15
years of use before it has to be relicensed.
We also discussed the licensing of Punta Final. The paperwork that we had
submitted months ago had been located, that two files needed to be updated
because of the delay, the air study was approved, and that the 180 day permit
would be approved within the next several weeks and that once a final inspection
was made by the local Commander to confirm that work that had been requested
to be done had been completed, that a 15 year permit would be issued….
The DGAC now has a better understanding of the business plan we have in
place for the licensing of additional airports. With the BBP handling the
coordination of the inspections and the field work and our legal team in Mexico
City working directly with the DGAC’s office, all felt that a 180 day license should
be able to be completed in 90+ days and the 15 year license would be completed
within the next 60 days.
Both Claudia and myself, and our legal team feel very good about this meeting.
Now that all have met and are all pulling on the rope the same way, we hope to
have more airports reopened in the near future.
We presently have four groups (airports) that have indicated that they wish to
have us license their airport. We are waiting to see the dust settle on Final and
we will then start the process with additional airports.