During an official visit in Paris, the President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, confirmed that his government is evaluating the privatization of Tocumen International Airport.
The plan, as detailed by the Panamanian outlet Informe Aéreo, would include the concession of Tocumen along with other smaller airports such as Scarlett Martínez International Airport in Río Hato, located in the province of Coclé, Enrique Adolfo Jiménez International Airport (ONX) in Colón, and Enrique Malek Airport in David, Chiriquí.
The announcement by Mulino was made before the leading business groups of France gathered at the French Business Movement (MEDEF), with companies like Airbus Defence & Space, Société Générale bank, NGE, a leader in construction, and the railway developer CIM.
Although not mentioned by name, a potential concession of Tocumen will likely attract interest from two of the world’s major airport operators based in France: Vinci Airports and Groupe ADP (Aéroports de Paris), both of which already have a presence in Latin America and the Caribbean in airports such as Santiago de Chile, Santo Domingo, Monterrey, Acapulco, and Manaus, among others.
Thanks to the growth of Copa Airlines, which has developed a continental hub, Tocumen has become the busiest airport in Central America and one of the key players in regional connectivity. In 2023, it handled more than 17 million passengers, and between January and September of this year, it has already surpassed 14 million, a 9% increase compared to the same period last year, with a network exceeding 90 destinations.
Of course, Vinci and ADP are probably not the only ones interested in acquiring Tocumen. The Spanish group Aena has also been expanding in Latin America, as have the German company Fraport, the Swiss Zurich Airports, and even Argentina’s Corporación América Airports.
