by Rod Hughes

A Latin American aeronautics conference is meeting here, sponsored by Costa Rica and Spain, according to the English-language weekly The Tico Times. Representatives of Mexico, Paraguay, Brzil, Argentina, Haiti, Cuba and Panama will hear of the latest techological advances and the meeting is aimed at updating equipment to optimize air service in the hemisphere, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

The meeting, the first in Costa Rica, emphasizes innovation, development and research in aeronautical technology and is linked with the Regional Project for Technical Cooperation. Included among the companies is AGILIS, a Costa Rican firm that produces software for design of aircraft turbines for such jetliner giants as Boeing and Airbus.

Also showing off their wares are Costa Rican astronaut Dr. Franklin Chang’s Ad Astra Rocket Lab based in Guanacaste province and the Spanish companies Indra and GMV.

Perhaps the most interested participants are those from Brazil, still smarting from airline pilots’ criticism of that country’s airport infrastructure after a tragic jetliner crash earlier this year.