ua900 wrote:

Hopefully, June 15th will hold for a number of places in LatAm / Central America / Europe so that things can gradually return to normal provided that the current progress visible in many regions holds up.

Update: New date for the opening of all Costa Rican borders: June 30th.

Regards.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

Update: New date for the opening of all Costa Rican borders: June 30th.

It seems the border closure gets extended by 15 days each time. We have to see if that date holds up by the time the 15th rolls on and another decision on the border closing is made.

I'm not holding my breath though, especially with the situation with truck drivers either blocking access to the border (like in Panama), or being kept from crossing the border at all (like in Nicaragua). Whatever decision they will make, will have major repercussions and cause collateral damage. If not for the economy, then with international relations as we saw this week with surface cargo transport, for which a multilateral agreement was allegedly made yesterday evening.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

Update: New date for the opening of all Costa Rican borders: June 30th.

Regards.

Thanks! Read in La Prensa Grafica today that El Salvador's Pres. Bukele would like to extend through July 15th there. I hope that once openings start, e.g. for SJO and LIR that other places like SAL will have no choice but to follow suit. Someone will have to be first to reopen.

https://www.laprensagrafica.com/elsalva ... -0102.html

LTU932 wrote:

It seems the border closure gets extended by 15 days each time. We have to see if that date holds up by the time the 15th rolls on and another decision on the border closing is made.

I'm not holding my breath though, especially with the situation with truck drivers either blocking access to the border (like in Panama), or being kept from crossing the border at all (like in Nicaragua). Whatever decision they will make, will have major repercussions and cause collateral damage. If not for the economy, then with international relations as we saw this week with surface cargo transport, for which a multilateral agreement was allegedly made yesterday evening.

These 15-day extensions seem to be quite common. Given the steep economic losses of ordinary people in the region, it seems increasingly unsustainable without provoking an uprising sooner or later.

I even have my doubts related to the full implementation of the new features in our regional airports.
The safety screens are allegedy compulsory in all the counters for the check-in process, among other new procedures.
Who will pay them? Probably, all the governments must supply these new accesories quickly and indirectly they would be charged to the passengers, of course. Forecasts are quouting only a 10% of the former demand of passengers, as point out before.
It's like a double-edged weapon: airports must be opened as soon as possible, in order to activate their local economies again. On the other hand, the public health would be highly compromised, given the high risk of new contagious coming from abroad.
All the Central American countries wouldn't dare to open their boundaries freely. Panama is dated on June 26th.
Most regional airports are closed for international flights since March 20th, in average. That means 100 days of almost zero revenue-operations. No airline in the world is capable to support this hard scenario.

One of CM's B737-700 was damaged while being pushed back from the maintenance hangar at SJO:. Via Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AeronewsGlobal/stat ... 7711376386
https://twitter.com/AeronewsGlobal/stat ... 1846042629

Most likely PTY will not open on June 23 according to declarations of President Cortizo to the Panamá América. From the Panamá América:

Apertura de aeropuertos
Durante la visita a Editora Panamá América, el mandatario también habló sobre la reapertura de vuelos internacionales al país.

En este sentido, el presidente de la República de Panamá, Laurentino Cortizo Cohen manifestó que la reapertura de los aeropuertos para vuelos internacionales no se hará a partir del próximo 23 de junio como se tenía previsto.

https://www.panamaamerica.com.pa/socied ... bio-de-dos

Somehow not surprising. But in a way, they cannot keep delaying reopening of PTY, same goes for SJO. Airports will be key to reopening the economy in both countries, and it doesn't have to be an outright opening, it can be a progressive opening, with restrictions on countries depending on the severity of the pandemic.

That is true. APATEL (The Panamanian Association of Hotels) have been asking the government to open PTY or to give them a precise schedule of when PTY will be open.

More info at TVN: https://www.tvn-2.com/economia/economia ... 40069.html

The main problem in Panama, is that the number of new cases keep increasing even with the draconian measurements that the government has imposed.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

Based on the above replies, the intended schedule posted by Copa Airlines above is no longer valid.
It's time to face the truth, the epicenter of the pandemic is centralized in Latin America and nobody would dare to open their boundaries, taking into account this sad scenario. The spread of the deadly coronavirus doesn't seem to stop and it looks more active than ever.
I couldn't find the source I had read the other day stating that only 12 countries worldwide have their airports opened for tourism by now.
The United Kingdom has their airports opened, but a 14-day quarentine is mandatory for all those travelers arriving there, disregarding their citizenship. The rules for the Central American airports might follow a similar pattern, once they would be opened later.

Edited on June 14th 2020.

I believe Costa Rica would only do temperature checks to anyone (at least citizens) who are asymptomatic, or maybe even do those insta-tests that supposedly exist. Anyway, Costa Rica so far has been lucky despite the recent spike in cases that is focused mostly up north in places like San Carlos, La Cruz, etc. The problem there is the issue with illegal immigrants crossing the border into Costa Rica (mostly looking for work and healthcare given the blatant disregard of Nicaragua towards COVID) and local companies (mostly in agriculture and in packaging) working with NO safety regulations at all, even dodging payments to Social Security. They now requested help from the UN to contain the spread up north through building special shelters and other measures.

At the same time, the worst mistake we can do is get into panic. Not only because, on a personal level, any statement that is laced with fear of doom and gloom causes a meltdown in me, but also because fear doesn't resolve anything. We need to reopen the economy because a too prolonged shutdown and lockdown isn't helping, and money could run out. Air travel can help the economy, and a methodic plan to reopen our borders can be of benefit even with the current spike in cases.

Personally, I'm surprised that the government in Costa Rica hasn't announced an extension of the border closure to travelers (which includes SJO and LIR) at all, given that I calculated that they'd evaluate the situation every 15 days by their pattern. I'm not holding my breath on the borders reopening. Maybe international flights could return but bypassing places severely hit by COVID (with the only exception being likely the United States and Europe).

Panama has extended the ban on all international flights for an extra 30 days. Via Twitter: https://twitter.com/aacivilpty/status/1 ... 6184088577

CM was fined $450,000 by the DOT for transporting passengers between Venezuela and the US.

An investigation by the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) 1 , however, revealed that between May 15, 2019, and June 11, 2019, Copa offered for sale itineraries between the United States and Venezuela in contravention of DOT Order 2019-5-5. Copa sold over 5,000 tickets for such itineraries during that time frame, either through its own website or through those of third party agents. In addition, Copa transported over 15,000 passengers on U.S.-Venezuela itineraries between May 15 and June 11.

In response, Copa states that any violation of the restrictions that may have occurred would not have been willful. Copa notes that the Department of Homeland Security’s May 13, 2019, letter to the Department of Transportation underlying DOT Order 2019-5-5 did not include Copa as a carrier serving Venezuela. Copa states that it relied in part on its contacts with Panamanian and other U.S. officials to understand the restrictions to serving Venezuela. Copa states that it understands the seriousness of the matter, has cooperated fully with the OACP in this investigation, and has taken considerable and substantive steps to avoid future violations.

https://www.regulations.gov/document?D= ... -0001-0002

DOT Fines Copa Airlines for Violating DOT Order Suspending Air Service Between the U.S. and Venezuela
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today fined Compañía Panameña de Aviación, S.A. (Copa) $450,000 for unlawfully transporting passengers between the United States and Venezuela via a stopover point. Copa was ordered to cease and desist from future similar violations.

https://www.transportation.gov/briefing ... een-us-and

That's a lot of money they really can't miss right now...

Kilgen wrote:

Panama has extended the ban on all international flights for an extra 30 days. Via Twitter: https://twitter.com/aacivilpty/status/1 ... 6184088577

What the President hinted at, has been made official now. In the meantime, Costa Rica has not yet decided about its border openings or not, which baffles me. They cannot leave that decision for the last minute, because we are two weeks away from the end of the current border closures but knowing our government, that is likely what will happen. With the current situation, especially with the places currently under Condition Orange up north, I'm not holding my breath.

Dieuwer wrote:

That's a lot of money they really can't miss right now...

Yes, at least they don't have to pay everything at once:

We assess Compañía Panameña de Aviación, S.A. $450,000 in compromise of civil penalties that might otherwise by assessed for the violations described above. Of this total amount, $225,000 shall be due and payable within 120 days of the issuance date of this order. The remaining $225,000 shall become due and payable if, within one year of the issuance date of this order, Compañía Panameña de Aviación, S.A. violates this order’s cease and desist or payment provisions, in which case the entire unpaid amount shall become due and payable immediately and Compañía Panameña de Aviación, S.A. may be subject to additional enforcement action for failure to comply with this order.

So half in up to 4 months and the rest in up to 1 year.

Iberia is willing ro resume their Central American operations in July, pending Government aprroval:

IB MAD-PTY...2x weekly......330.....July 20
IB MAD-SJO..3x weekly......359.....July 17

Looking at CM website, looks like the flights will start on August 7th.

Kilgen wrote:

Looking at CM website, looks like the flights will start on August 7th.

What I don't understand with the Panamanian health and Civil Authority officials re: Covid-19 and international passenger traffic is that Panama right now is divided in 2 blocks, provinces of Panama and Panama Oeste are in block one with movement restrictions by sex and ID numbers, and the rest of the country in block 2 perhaps (hopefully) going to block 3 within weeks depending in the incidences here.
In paper, CM could fly passengers with movement permits "salvoconducto" domestic between PTY and DAV right now and if the rest of Panama goes into block 3, CM might be allowed to fly international from DAV.
I'm quite sure that there might be passengers out there willing to fly from PTY to the States (MIA) even if it has to be via DAV and from MIA to Panama (DAV) who wouldn't mind being quarantined in Chiriqui province.

On another issue, Panamanians overseas keep complaining how hard is to be repatriated from the countries where CM is operating humanitarian flights to.
For some reason, most of the CM flights out of PTY do return to PTY empty. Looks like CM isn't allowed to transport passengers (even if those are Panamanians returning to PTY) due to Panama Health ministry restrictions.

2travel2know2 wrote:

Kilgen wrote:

Looking at CM website, looks like the flights will start on August 7th.

What I don't understand with the Panamanian health and Civil Authority officials re: Covid-19 and international passenger traffic is that Panama right now is divided in 2 blocks, provinces of Panama and Panama Oeste are in block one with movement restrictions by sex and ID numbers, and the rest of the country in block 2 perhaps (hopefully) going to block 3 within weeks depending in the incidences here.
In paper, CM could fly passengers with movement permits "salvoconducto" domestic between PTY and DAV right now and if the rest of Panama goes into block 3, CM might be allowed to fly international from DAV.
I'm quite sure that there might be passengers out there willing to fly from PTY to the States (MIA) even if it has to be via DAV and from MIA to Panama (DAV) who wouldn't mind being quarantined in Chiriqui province.

On another issue, Panamanians overseas keep complaining how hard is to be repatriated from the countries where CM is operating humanitarian flights to.
For some reason, most of the CM flights out of PTY do return to PTY empty. Looks like CM isn't allowed to transport passengers (even if those are Panamanians returning to PTY) due to Panama Health ministry restrictions.

Even if CM wanted to operate from DAV, DAV doesn't have the infrastructure (or the qualifications) to operate flights to the US. If the money spent on ONX (Colon) had been spent instead in DAV, it could have been a different story. Those $58 million would have done more in DAV than in ONX as Colon is less than 1 hour away from PTY and the highways are relatively good.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

Iberia is willing ro resume their Central American operations in July, pending Government aprroval:

IB MAD-PTY...2x weekly......330.....July 20
IB MAD-SJO..3x weekly......359.....July 17

So far, it seems nothing has been announced with the current border closures but I predict we won't know until late next week. I'm slightly optimistic about SJO, not so much for PTY. I'm not holding my breath though, it's becoming way too short notice.

Update: Based on today's lecture by Dr. Daniel Salas who's heading the Ministery of Health of Costa Rica, their international airports would be opened when they meet all the safety regulations related to the control of the SARS CoV-2: severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
Those passengers belonging to countries where the virus is extensively spreading might be banned to enter in Costa Rica. This statement will be checked again on July 10th.
Authorities wouldn't declare any accurate date about the opening of the airports, but it's imminent they cannot resume on June 30th as scheduled before.

Edited on June 18th, 2020.

Should CM PTY-DAV survive without relying on their connections through PTY or not ?
So far, Air Panama on 5P [PAC-DAV] was attending the domestic market.
It's easier for locals get into PAC than PTY.

Guatemala has posponed the opening of La Aurora until August 15 this year.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

Should CM PTY-DAV survive without relying on their connections through PTY or not ?
So far, Air Panama on 5P [PAC-DAV] was attending the domestic market.
It's easier for locals get into PAC than PTY.

5P had a reputation of being unreliable which chased passengers away.
Also, many CM's PTY-DAV pax are Connect Miles or other Star Alliance F.F. programmes' members, so CM actually had quite a customer base there.
Right now, if CM was to flight that route (yes it's domestic so CM would be allowed) any passenger must carry an authorisation to travel between PTY and DAV since Chiriqui is in another sanitary zone with less restrictions than Panama City.

Honduras is preparing for the opening of their airports and starting the trials that will begin under biosecurity measures supervised by local authorities.
They indicated that following an optimistic scenario, operations may begin between July and August with domestic flights and gradually resume their international flights later.
Since March 15th, their four main airports were closed after declaring a severe national quarentine because of the pandemic.

juanchito wrote:

Guatemala has posponed the opening of La Aurora until August 15 this year.

I've just read that the intended date for the opening of SAL is scheduled on August 06th.
Regards.

I don't recall which publication it was, but there was an article saying IB wanted to return to SJO already by July 1st. But it seems it could be a misunderstanding, because that date it seems, is when IB wants to resume regular longhaul operations.

https://www.preferente.com/noticias-de- ... 01212.html

LTU932 wrote:

there was an article saying IB wanted to return to SJO already by July 1st.

Their comprehensive plans for the resumption of several long-haul routes were taken from this source:

oneWorld member Iberia recently filed preliminary long-haul operation for the month of July 2020, as the airline gradually restores regular operation. As of 16JUN20, planned long-haul service in July 2020 includes the following.

Further changes remain likely due to various travel restrictions.

Madrid – Bogota 2 weekly A340-600
Madrid – Buenos Aires Ezeiza 1 weekly A350-900XWB
Madrid – Chicago O’Hare 1 weekly A330 (4 weekly from 16JUL20)
Madrid – Havana 1 weekly A330
Madrid – New York JFK 2 weekly A330 (4 weekly from 18JUL20)
Madrid – Lima 2 weekly A340-600
Madrid – Mexico City 3 weekly A350-900XWB (5 weekly from 20JUL20)
Madrid – Miami 2 weekly A330 (4 weekly from 15JUL20)
Madrid – Montevideo 1 weekly A330 (2 weekly from 22JUL20)
Madrid – Panama City 1 weekly A330 (2 weekly from 20JUL20)
Madrid – Quito 3 weekly A340-600
Madrid – San Jose (Costa Rica) 1 weekly A350-900XWB (3 weekly from 17JUL20)
Madrid – Santiago de Chile 2 weekly A350-900XWB (5 weekly from 14JUL20)
Madrid – Santo Domingo 3 weekly A330 (4 weekly from 21JUL20)

Some airlines want desperatily to restart operations in Central America, especially from Europe.
However, the Government aproval plans are being delayed, depending on the progress of the disease.
It's a very dynamic and unpredictable behavior.
LH FRA-SJO was scheduled for June 17th just on May 29th. This idea didn't come into frution as well.


https://www.larepublica.net/noticia/vuelos-de-lufthansa-hacia-costa-rica-se-reanudarian-el-17-de-junio


Regards.

And this is why being so short notice with the extension of of the border closures and with that SJO (for passenger traffic), is counterintuitive. Sure, some border restrictions will need to stay in place, especially for Nicaragua and Nicaraguan citizens that don't have neither temporary residence or a green card. So if I was one of the people in charge, I would say that we would allow the resumption of flights to and from e.g. Europe, as long as the airports fulfill health screenings on departure or whatever is going to be in place to ensure people can board the aircraft without any medical impediment related to the pandemic. But I don't think the geniuses in Zapote, as well as the health minister and the head of DGME would ever do that (openly), out of fear that they would be called xenophobic.

There has been no official announcement for the opening of the airports in Belize.
On May 14th, local authorities indicated that July 01st is steel a tentative target date on reopening the Philip Goldson International airport [BZE] and allowing travel to Belize.

Update: No official date has been released yet related to the opening of the international Costa Rican airports.
Many tourist operators, hotels and other entities are stubbornly requesting this resumption for July, after more than 100 days of zero revenue-activitites.
Local authorities are studying this gradual opening based on the risk of those countries with lower levels of contagious by now: Canada, United Kingdom and the rest of Europe.
Some airlines are lobbying for the resumption of their flights in Costa Rica soon: AA, DL, UA, IB, LH, WK, B6 and NK, among others.

Edited on June 25th, 2020.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

There has been no official announcement for the opening of the airports in Belize.
On May 14th, local authorities indicated that July 01st is steel a tentative target date on reopening the Philip Goldson International airport [BZE] and allowing travel to Belize.

August 15th start date was announced by the local authorities yesterday.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

Update: No official date has been released yet related to the opening of the international Costa Rican airports.
Many tourist operators, hotels and other entities are stubbornly requesting this resumption for July, after more than 100 days of zero revenue-activitites.
Local authorities are studying this gradual opening based on the risk of those countries with lower levels of contagious by now: Canada, United Kingdom and the rest of Europe.
Some airlines are lobbying for the resumption of their flights in Costa Rica soon: AA, DL, UA, IB, LH, WK, B6 and NK, among others.

The authorities are more preoccupied with showing off that they're trying to do something instead of actually doing something, not to mention the fear mongering in the media and the ongoing UPAD scandal (where the President successfully distracted from with the pandemic).

I insist that the reopening of SJO and LIR should be slow, and with restrictions for certain countries that do not get the pandemic under control. With that being said, it will be difficult to ban the US in that regard like the EU did. The EU has put a ban against people coming from the US (except perhaps their own citizens) because of the pandemic situation as of right now. I could go into somewhat of a deep dive on the situation in the US, but this would make the thread far more political than it may already be.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

No official date has been released yet related to the opening of the international Costa Rican airports.

New tentative date: August 01st.

And again with the short notice. I'm really growing sick and tired of the government not knowing what they're doing. Something happens, and the the border closures will be extended, mark my words. In the meantime, we'll continue with the current "only repatriation charters and cargo flights" operation of SJO and LIR, most likely indefinitely.

The Council of the European Union left all the Central American countries out of the former list of places authorized to resume commercial flights to the 27 nations that make up the block.
This statement is valid as of July 01st and it would be revised every 15 days, depending on the local control of the coronavirus pandemic.
Uruguay was the sole continental country included into such list.
Nevertheless, the Central American countries are planning to start again their international flights till August as their main airports are still closed.

Both Edelweiss and Lufthansa are still asking for their flights to the ishtmus.
This announcement is probably disregarding the recent ban of the countries blocked by the European Union. LH has steadily sought from May for the resumption of their flights heading to Costa Rica.

New intended schedule and depending on the opening at SJO, of course:
LH FRA-SJO: 2x weekly, 343. August 01st.
WK ZRH-SJO:1x weekly, 343. August 06th,

Things can only get worse here, in terms of the sudden spread of the virus into the metropolitan area.

The Panamanian government is contemplating opening PTY for passengers in transit but not for O/D:

“Estamos coordinando como equipo, la apertura de mini hub humanitario, en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen, el mismo servirá para permitir vuelos que estén de paso, solamente como una conexión para que las personas que estén en alguno de los países utilicen a Panamá como puente”.
Sucre recalcó que “no se permitirá la entrada de viajes de turismo ni de otra índole, por tanto no se permitirá la entrada de personas al país”.

https://www.prensa.com/sociedad/gobiern ... -transito/

Kilgen wrote:

The Panamanian government is contemplating opening PTY for passengers in transit but not for O/D:

“Estamos coordinando como equipo, la apertura de mini hub humanitario, en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen, el mismo servirá para permitir vuelos que estén de paso, solamente como una conexión para que las personas que estén en alguno de los países utilicen a Panamá como puente”.
Sucre recalcó que “no se permitirá la entrada de viajes de turismo ni de otra índole, por tanto no se permitirá la entrada de personas al país”.

https://www.prensa.com/sociedad/gobiern ... -transito/

There are rumours that Panamanians and legal residents returning to the country would be allowed in.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

New tentative date: August 01st.

Local authorities declared firmly once again about the resumption of the Costa Rican airports for August 01st.
IB, UA and LH are keeping the intended dates for their returning flights at SJO.
As far as I know, all the Latin American countries are even banned for those flights coming from the European Union, besides Uruguay.
UA IAH-SJO has supplied multiple repatriation flights, since the sanitary crisis began.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

SJOtoLIR wrote:

New tentative date: August 01st.

Local authorities declared firmly once again about the resumption of the Costa Rican airports for August 01st.
IB, UA and LH are keeping the intended dates for their returning flights at SJO.
As far as I know, all the Latin American countries are even banned for those flights coming from the European Union, besides Uruguay.
UA IAH-SJO has supplied multiple repatriation flights, since the sanitary crisis began.

UA has also operated many IAH-GUA flights as well. It seems as though the flights are almost daily and regular. I wonder if there are people coming back and forth with specific permissions.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

SJOtoLIR wrote:

New tentative date: August 01st.

Local authorities declared firmly once again about the resumption of the Costa Rican airports for August 01st.
IB, UA and LH are keeping the intended dates for their returning flights at SJO.
As far as I know, all the Latin American countries are even banned for those flights coming from the European Union, besides Uruguay.

I'll believe it when I see it. This incompetent government has been flipflopping so many times, it makes my head spin. They did state that, while the airports would resume regular service on August 1st, the land borders will remain closed except for freight, and likely also deportations and authorised humanitarian action.

As for those flights, I do wonder if permanent residents from EU countries, as well as Costa Rican dual-nationals with EU passports can even freely use those flights. I'm a dual German-Costa Rican citizen, and for the EU authorities this means that I count as German for them.

avi8 wrote:

SJOtoLIR wrote:

SJOtoLIR wrote:

New tentative date: August 01st.

Local authorities declared firmly once again about the resumption of the Costa Rican airports for August 01st.
IB, UA and LH are keeping the intended dates for their returning flights at SJO.
As far as I know, all the Latin American countries are even banned for those flights coming from the European Union, besides Uruguay.
UA IAH-SJO has supplied multiple repatriation flights, since the sanitary crisis began.

UA has also operated many IAH-GUA flights as well. It seems as though the flights are almost daily and regular. I wonder if there are people coming back and forth with specific permissions.

No people coming on those flights, only leaving.

5 Weekly IAH
2 Weekly LAX
2 Weekly EWR
2 Weekly IAD

I'm still puzzeled about how the Costa Rican Government had previously announced that only those countries with airlines operating here and who are successfully controlling the pandemic would be able for entering in Costa Rica, once the airports would resume their operations, in the short term.
Based on the reliable source of the Johns Hopkins University of Medice, perhaps Canada and the European Union are circled within this category.
I'd expect further information in this regard shortly.

What is the financial situation of many of these Central American countries? Are they teetering at the brink of bankruptcy and social unrest/implosion?

The Panamanian Government extended the restriction of international flights for another 30 days, starting July 22.

https://twitter.com/aacivilpty/status/1 ... 3205100549

Kilgen wrote:

The Panamanian Government extended the restriction of international flights for another 30 days

The coronavirus is sadly leading the battle and all the optimistic projections for the reopening of our main regional airports have been delayed time after time.
CM had previously announced June 26th as the beginning for their commercial operations again. It was postponed to August 07th and we must wait for a new planned schedule, in the short-term.
On the other hand, the European Union rather reduced from 15 to 13, those suitable countries for receiving travelers from abroad. None from Central America, of course. The list is revised every 15 days.
I took a time to read all the tweets from the source. Just heart-breaking.

Regards.

Does anyone know the plan or what’s going on with the SAL terminal expansion? Is it dead or on hold, etc.

Also, probably wishful thinking but I would love to see LH do FRA-SAL.

HNLSLCPDX wrote:

Does anyone know the plan or what’s going on with the SAL terminal expansion? Is it dead or on hold, etc.

Also, probably wishful thinking but I would love to see LH do FRA-SAL.

IMHO, LH would only be interested in SAL if AV keeps SAL as a hub.
AV keeping SAL as focus airport because of SAL’s major P2P markets just won’t attract LH.
Pretty sure, guess is that LH already has researched a possible FRA-GUA-SAL-FRA.

HNLSLCPDX wrote:

Does anyone know the plan or what’s going on with the SAL terminal expansion?

I can almost remember the former layout related to the expansion of the airport, back in 2008 roughly.
The design showed the new terminal building alongside to the runway 18/36, which is no longer in service.
The following link from 2019 may provide a light in this regard. The caption shows clearly the extension rather developed paralel to the current building.

https://diario.elmundo.sv/ampliacion-del-aeropuerto-romero-estara-lista-hasta-2020/

Regards.