In an interview for the Revista Punta, Ernesto Gutierrez Conte, President of Aeropuertos Argentina 2000emphasized the importance of building the new airport in the GalapagosIslands, totally self-sustaining, ecological and environmentallyfriendly, that will become an emblem and an example for the rest of theworld.
What was the impetus for the idea to build an eco-friendly airport in the Galapagos Islands?
The project began to take shape in September 15th, 2008, when theEcuadorian government gave our company the rights to break ground onthe island. The Baltra terminal is visited by over 300.000 passengersfrom all over the world and, with this initiative; travelers will havethe chance to enter into the Islands´ National Park which, as we know,is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
What drove you to present this project in the first place?
We accepted the challenge of building the first eco-friendly airport inthe world the minute we were given the rights to the Baltra Terminal.In the reality, any project that is focused on ecology is quitecomplicated; so, we are giving us an enormous amount of support to helpus build a stable and sustainable airport that adheres to the higheststandards of environmental conservation.
Running a construction project on the Galapagos must be challenging…
Let’s nor forget that it is virtually a sanctuary for all of humanity,particularly with regard to the respect and extreme care for thenatural world.
What is the total investment for this project?
Building and meeting environmental quality and design standards – we have invested 20 million dollars up front.
Could you share any of the specifics of thus new airport with us?
The building will have a surface area of approximately 6000 squaremeters, with the capacity to dock 8-10 flights per day, averaging 100passengers per plane (with IATA-C levels of service). Our plan is forit to be a high quality terminal, eco-friendly, with a low impact onthe environment. To achieve this, there are three key components to theproject: optimize the natural climate conditions to minimize the needfor air conditioning, maximize natural lighting within the airport andincorporate renewable energy systems.
How exactly is an eco-friendly airport run?
Like I said, it´s key to respect the three actions I mentioned above:for example, renewable energy systems on the roof to reduce the needfor conventional energy consumption. In addition, we will integratesolar panels to heat water, without having to rely in conventionalgases or electricity as the sources to meet the demands of hot water inthe terminal. As water us also limited, we have designed gutters thatwill control the quality and flow throughout the building.
What measures are you talking to care for the environment during the construction?
Taking into account the need to be conscious about ecologicalconservation and ensuring the stability if the ecosystem duringconstruction, there will be regular environmental tests, we will usespecial techniques to limit levels of dust and we will rely on manuallabor for certain tasks that would typically be done with heavymachinery. In addition, none of the substances used to mix the cementand other construction materials will contain chemicals. Wastemanagement control as it relates to the construction materials will bea priority.
What would you highlight with regard to the design?
The architecture is based on the idea of creating a sustainablebuilding, which incorporates natural light and ventilation, shades thebuilding from sunlight, is aesthetically pleasing, and efficientlydistributes artificial light and temperature control.
These strategies are designed to create a building that can besustained through natural sources, with the intent of reducing theimpact on the outside environment, while creating a pleasantenvironment within. As we have done in all of our airports, we payspecial attention to the need of our passengers, ensure highoperational, functional and accessibility standards, while guaranteeingthe safety, efficiency and comfort of our passengers and airportemployees.
Which other airports does Corporation America manage?
Through Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, we run 33 airports in Argentina(those belonging to the National System of Airports). In addition, wemanage the Guayaquil airport in Ecuador, the Zvartnots in Armenia andthe Carrasco and Laguna del Sauce airports, both in Uruguay.
