Upgrading David's Enrique Malek Airport to handle international jet airliners is one of the short-term goals of the Chiriquí Chamber of Tourism, headed by Mr. Wee-Mingh Fung.
Mr. Fung, who has headed the Chamber since May, 2005, said that the province's increasing popularity as a destination for tourists and expats from Europe and North America has created the need for long-haul international flights to land in David, the alternative to Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, located almost 500 km to the east. Although considered "international", the Enrique Malek Airport only handles one small-plane service to Costa Rica (one of two stops between San Jose and Panama City) in addition to its internal flight schedule.
When they land at Tocumen, passengers with a final destination in Chiriquí face a seven-hour drive or a transfer to Marcos Gelabert Airport, in Albrook for an hour's flight to David, which usually involves overnighting in Panama City.
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Mr. Fung cited the case of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, a region which bears many similarities with Chiriquí in terms of foreign investment and residence. The airport there has only basic facilities, but it has a jet-size land strip, enabling
Costa Rican tourist entities to bring in direct flights to the region from the United Startes.
"The David terminal is a nice, well-equipped facility, far better than Guanacaste. We only need to add 300 meters to the runway in order to handle large jets," said Mr. Fung.
Asked whether there would be enough demand in the region to receive direct flights from the United States, Mr. Fung said: "Panama's Government Tourist Board (IPAT) has only focused on promoting Panama City's skyscrapers and casinos. We all know that many tourists and expats want to get away from all of that. They want to enjoy nature and hear the birds sing."
