Panama Airport and Air Traffic Management Reverse Trade Mission Industry Briefing

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is sponsoring a Panama Airport and Air Traffic Management Reverse Trade Mission Industry Briefing on Wednesday, November 5, at USTDA headquarters, Suite 1501, 1000 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, Virginia. The Industry Briefing will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 1:30 p.m. This includes a catered lunch.

The Panama delegation will consist of senior representatives from Tocumen International Airport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Panama, senior air traffic control officials from Panama, and a U.S. Embassy representative from Panama.

The Industry Briefing is designed to introduce U.S. companies to procurement opportunities in Panama's aviation sector. The Industry Briefing also will include presentations from USTDA and other U.S. government officials who are responsible for promoting U.S. private sector participation in Panama's aviation sector.

Panama seeks to capitalize on its geographic location by becoming a regional aviation transportation hub, linking air transport between Central America, the Caribbean and South America. Panama's Tocumen International Airport is the largest and most active airport in Central America by passenger traffic volume and is the only airport in Central America that operates with two runways. The country has seven other airports that are important to the country's transportation infrastructure. Panama is interested in working with U.S. aviation experts and utilizing U.S. aviation technologies. The Panama delegation will discuss in detail their future plans for airport infrastructure development, air traffic control modernization and future security equipment plans.

Among the specific areas of interest to Panama are: back-up communications systems for air traffic controllers and air traffic control center operations; options and approaches for transitioning from VOR navigation to ADS-B and other NextGen technologies; ARFF training and equipment options; and recommendations for airport meteorological system upgrades.

U.S. companies should contact Spencer Dickerson, American Association of Airport Executives (event organizer) at sdickerson@aaae.org to discuss RTM sponsorship information, dinners with the Panama delegates and site visit/briefing opportunities.