El Salvador has always been a pioneer in matters related to Aviation. In fact, there is information about the beginnings of an informal Aviation from 1885, when a Priest, named Jose Domingo de Lara, made some experiments, having built a device made of wood and fabric which was launched for the first time from the tower of the Church of the San Jacinto Neighborhood in San Salvador, successfully landing in a nearby park. Later, he modified his device, managing to fly from a peak to the current National Zoo, covering a distance of approximately 1600 meters.
In 1929, the beginnings of a formal Aviation are given, creating the Salvadoran Air Fleet. Subsequently, Commercial Aviation begins, with the air mail service. Then, the Ilopango International Airport was built, which was the first International Airport in El Salvador, where international passenger flights were received, in the 1940s.
In 1979, it was agreed to suspend, as of January 1980, international traffic at the Ilopango International Airport, enabling the current International Airport of El Salvador. Ilopango was intended for military use and a small portion of Civil Aviation specifically referred to private air taxis.
In 2001, the regulation that governs currently the industry of Civil Aviation entered into force, creating the Civil Aviation Authority. – The autonomy of the regulatory Authority allows a greater margin of action and attention for the development of the Civil Aviation, as well as the compliance with international standards and recommendations. – El Salvador has an important regulation based on the standards and methods recommended by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization).
It is important to highlight that the International Airport of El Salvador, now called “Monseñor Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez”, has important national and international certifications, ratings, awards, and mentions, that have been granted by the Civil Aviation Authority, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); being part of the exclusive ICAO list of States that are above the global average of compliance with Operational Safety standards in their International Airports.
Today, important advances have been made and continue to be made, such as:
- a) The implementation of the current Airport modernization and expansion plan;
- b) The achievement of the subscription of several Bilateral Aviation Treaties with countries such as the United States of America, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Colombia, among others;
- c) The opening of the regulatory Authorities to allow true competition and competitiveness (about 15 air operators operate in the country offering different destinations and services);
- d) Advances in Operational Safety Programs or “Safety” (which seeks to reduce the number of accidents and incidents typical of the operation) and Physical Security or “Security” (which seeks to avoid incidents not derived from the operation, but intentionally produced attacks by humans, such as terrorism, hijackings, etc.) at the Airport; positioning it as one of the safest International Airports in the continent;
- e) Maintenance Workshops qualified and approved at an international level, where aircraft are received to provide services to several airlines; what has generated the need for Educational Institutions to design specialized study programs so that young Salvadorans can access new sources of work.
While there are still many challenges such as continuing with the expansion and modernization of the Airport, separating the flow of incoming and outgoing passengers, as well as maintaining international ratings, it cannot be denied that El Salvador has had great advances in Civil Aviation.
For more information on regulatory matters related to Civil Aviation, please contact LatinAlliance El Salvador, Attorneys at Law, at the following e-mail address: [email protected]
By: Jose Freddy Zometa Segovia