The airport of El Palomar revolutionized the center: 700,000 passengers were welcomed in one year – 07/02/2019

He was born on February 9, 2018 with a hasty ranking, a judicial presentation of neighbors and difficulties during the first flights due to weather problems. Despite these difficulties, El Palomar air base this Saturday marks its first year as the third busiest commercial airport in the metropolitan area.Designed as a "low cost" terminal, by El Palomar already pbaded 625 thousand pbadengers, increased commercial traffic through the center of the city and suffers a little from the traffic complications closer to the station.

With 32 daily operations between takeoffs and landings, and recently transformed into an international place, the airport gate also imported the fight of Buenos Aires between taxi drivers and Uber drivers. In addition, opened a new parking lot, appeared "rags" and also asks pbadengers to stay, because for now, there are no hotels.

"Now that pbadengers check in for international flights three hours ago, after shipping the luggage, you see them through the center of El Palomar, some sit and have coffee here," says Domingo. owner of a bar on Itacumbú for 600 years.

For almost a year, the airport has identified with the acronym EPA It was only used by the airline Flybondi, which started flying in January 2018 to Cordoba, Bariloche and Tucumán. Today, these destinations have also joined Santiago del Estero, Iguazu, Salta, Jujuy, Mendoza, Nequen, Posadas, Corrientes, Bahía Blanca; and since last December, the first two internationals: Punta del Este (Uruguay) and Asunción (Paraguay). The American airline has also been added. JetSmart, which goes to Chile, is waiting for Sky, which will connect to the Chilean capital. In cabotage, in the last year, it was ranked seventh in the country.

Pbadenger traffic has changed the profile of the neighborhood and creates new demands. One is the accommodation. "What most pbadengers ask when they leave is through discounts and also many consult if there are any hotels. Sometimes they say it's because they just meet and make a connection with another flight and do not want to go to Capital to sleep, "explains Carlos, another trader.

If some put forward the biggest movement, they notice its side effect: transit. Just stopping in Itacumbú street, a few meters before the tunnel, pbadengers are observed with bags trying to get to the station. "The tunnel has come to make traffic crazy, there is always a risk of being crushed in Marconi and Misiones – an exact limit between Morón and Tres de Febrero -" says Manuel, an employee of the region.

The Commune has traced a circuit of access and exit from the gate of the terminal to differentiate it from the traffic of downtown El Palomar. However, when people from the airport are trying to cross Itacumbú to reach the traffic that leaves the tunnel, they have to avoid poorly parked vehicles at the banks doors. The horn is already a habit, as is the sound of airplanes which has even been criticized by a study from the University of Tres de Febrero.

Another correlate of intense traffic is the need to have a parking lot. Diagonally to the terminal, shortly after Flybondi's first flight, opened the first beach. Fees are $ 60 per hour and stay per day costs $ 250. "Many leave her for a few days and it's cheaper for them to come and go by taxi," says Ramón pointing to two men who had left their car a day in the parking lot.

The bus lines 53 and 182, which pbad through the base gate, have also deviated their route. According to data from the Ministry of Transport, 40% of pbadengers arrive by public transport.

"Palomar airport continues to grow and Morón is also an aeronautical city, with thousands of neighbors and pbadengers traveling for the first time and contributing to this progress for our district." Now families can communicate more easily, see their loved ones, take their plane a few minutes after taking the train, "said the Mayor of Morón, Ramiro Tagliaferro.

From Saturday, the air base airport begins its second year while waiting for more flights and airlines. And other expansion work is also planned. But in turn, conflicts will follow. A week ago there was a fierce fight between taxi drivers and Uber driversand for almost a year, the demand for suspension of commercial flights continues in the Supreme Court.

Two latent conflicts: taxis against Uber and the claim of neighbors

Prior to the opening of the base as a commercial airport, the Federal Court received an appeal from its neighbors. And, in addition, the Supreme Court is waiting for the definition of an appeal to suspend business operations in El Palomar. Both disputes are waiting for the Federal Court of San Martin and the Court to fail in the dispute.

Meanwhile, at the airport gate, the controversy Porteño of taxis against Uber drivers intensifies. A week ago, more than 500 taxi drivers went to El Palomar after a fight with an Uber driver. At the airport gate, there is a stop for 20 authorized taxis. With the weather tense, some Uber drivers lift pbadengers two blocks from the airport to avoid the border crossing that has already ended with violence.