Private groups compete to take over Spain's two biggest airports
By Cathy Buyck | September 8, 2011
Seven consortia have confirmed their interest in the privatization of Spain's two largest airports, Madrid Barajas (MAD) and Barcelona El Prat (BCN), the country's airport operating authority Aena Aeropuertos said. Five consortia submitted pre-qualification documents for both airports, while a group led by Grupo San Jose is bidding only for MAD and a group led by Abertis Airports is bidding solely for BCN. The five consortia bidding for both airports include a consortium led by Ferrovial Aeropuertos, the Spanish owner of UK airports operator BAA; India's GMR Infrastructure; a group comprising Changi Airports International, FCC Construccion (the Spanish construction group which owns ground handler Flightcare) and Siemens Project Ventures; a consortium led by Aeroports de Paris; and one led by FraportAg Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide.
"Aena Airports appreciates the large number of applications because it is a sign of national and international business interests to manage the two main Spanish airports," the company said in a statement.
Aena will announce next week the list of companies that fulfill the conditions to take part in the second part of the bidding process, in which they will submit their technical and financial offer for the management of each of the airports.
The Spanish government approved the launch of a tender for the management and 90.05% ownership of MAD and BCN in July as part of its effort to reduce the country's public deficit from 9.24% of GDP in 2010 to the eurozone ceiling of 3% in 2013. It hopes to raise €3.7 billion from the sale of MAD and €1.6 billion from the sale of BCN.
The MAD and BCN privatization process is expected to be completed at the end of November, with the winning group taking over the airports three months later. MAD last year handled 49.9 million passengers and BCN handled 29.2 million, year-over-year increases of 3% and 6.5%, respectively, according to Aena data. In the 2011 first half, MAD increased passenger throughput 0.8% over the year-ago period to 23.9 million and BCN recorded 20.6% growth to 15.9 million passengers.
By Cathy Buyck | September 8, 2011
Seven consortia have confirmed their interest in the privatization of Spain's two largest airports, Madrid Barajas (MAD) and Barcelona El Prat (BCN), the country's airport operating authority Aena Aeropuertos said. Five consortia submitted pre-qualification documents for both airports, while a group led by Grupo San Jose is bidding only for MAD and a group led by Abertis Airports is bidding solely for BCN. The five consortia bidding for both airports include a consortium led by Ferrovial Aeropuertos, the Spanish owner of UK airports operator BAA; India's GMR Infrastructure; a group comprising Changi Airports International, FCC Construccion (the Spanish construction group which owns ground handler Flightcare) and Siemens Project Ventures; a consortium led by Aeroports de Paris; and one led by FraportAg Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide.
"Aena Airports appreciates the large number of applications because it is a sign of national and international business interests to manage the two main Spanish airports," the company said in a statement.
Aena will announce next week the list of companies that fulfill the conditions to take part in the second part of the bidding process, in which they will submit their technical and financial offer for the management of each of the airports.
The Spanish government approved the launch of a tender for the management and 90.05% ownership of MAD and BCN in July as part of its effort to reduce the country's public deficit from 9.24% of GDP in 2010 to the eurozone ceiling of 3% in 2013. It hopes to raise €3.7 billion from the sale of MAD and €1.6 billion from the sale of BCN.
The MAD and BCN privatization process is expected to be completed at the end of November, with the winning group taking over the airports three months later. MAD last year handled 49.9 million passengers and BCN handled 29.2 million, year-over-year increases of 3% and 6.5%, respectively, according to Aena data. In the 2011 first half, MAD increased passenger throughput 0.8% over the year-ago period to 23.9 million and BCN recorded 20.6% growth to 15.9 million passengers.