Itabuna advances with an Airport Master Plan to boost logistics and the economy in southern Bahia

Itabuna receives technical team to move forward with the Airport Master Plan

Itabuna has taken a landmark step towards a new phase in logistics infrastructure and economic growth across the south of Bahia. On Tuesday (21), Itabuna City Hall, through the Secretariat of Infrastructure and Urban Development (SIURB), welcomed airport infrastructure engineer Mozart Alemão, representing Mozart Alemão Ltda., the firm hired to produce the municipality’s Airport Master Plan.

The meeting was held in the office of SIURB secretary Sônia Fontes and was attended by council technical staff, architects, engineers and surveyors. Together, they reviewed and discussed key elements of the Master Plan, including suitable technical solutions for projects of this type, a logistics and freight-led approach, urban planning, infrastructure, safety considerations and the area earmarked for future expansion.

What the Itabuna Airport Master Plan is designed to deliver

Mozart Alemão explained that Itabuna’s Airport Master Plan is an official technical document and a vital tool for zoning and safeguarding land within the municipality. He noted that it will form the basis for future detailed design projects, making it possible to move towards building an airport.

He added that this initial study is strategic and wide-ranging in scope, assessing demand and the economic context of the municipality, the wider south of Bahia and the state as a whole. The aim, he said, is to justify the need for a new airport that would serve not only Itabuna but the entire area influenced by the city.

“As Itabuna is a strategic logistics junction for the interior of Bahia, the Master Plan analyses the local economic make-up, with a strong emphasis on the tertiary sector and healthcare, to show that airport infrastructure is a necessary requirement for regional development,” said Mozart.

During the technical session, the team presented an analysis and diagnostic assessment confirming that the site selected on a preliminary basis is suitable for the construction of an airport.

Urban planning, BR-415 duplication and regional logistics (FIOL and Porto Sul)

Sônia Fontes said the work marks a major advance because it enables the definition of the area that will receive the large-scale facility. She also highlighted planning for the duplication of the BR-415, on the stretch between the neighbourhoods of Nova Itabuna and Nova Ferradas.

“Structuring growth in this expanding urban zone, with a five- to ten-year projection, is a fundamental strategic objective for the municipality. In doing so, we aim to ensure that Itabuna’s territory has the capacity required to host, in future, a development of regional relevance, ensuring economic and social progress,” Sônia Fontes commented.

Another topic addressed was how the city should prepare for local and regional economic growth, driven by projects such as the West–East Integration Railway (FIOL) and Porto Sul, whose works are in the process of being restarted.

“The aim is to complement Ilhéus’s infrastructure, offering a logistics alternative that will drive development across the entire micro-region,” said the secretary, adding that the neighbouring city remains focused on tourism and environmental preservation.

“While Ilhéus maintains its ecological and tourism focus, Itabuna is preparing to make viable an airport with a profile geared towards freight and production, strengthening the expansion process across the whole macro-region,” Sônia Fontes concluded.