Global Interest in Airport Concession
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport says there have been more than 150 inquiries from people interested in the $15 million concession to build and operate a new international terminal at Daniel Oduber International Airport in Guanacaste.
Some of the world’s leading airport operators, as well as heavy engineering firms are now known to be interested in the tender to finance, construct and operate a modern terminal.
Canadian, US, Spanish, Chilean and Costa Rican companies are all interested in the tender, according to Guillermo Álvarez, a member the Consejo Técnico de Aviación Civil (CETAC).
“The official bid announcement will be published next week and we expect to have a company assigned for the project before the end of the year, in order to start with the works early in 2008,” Mr Alvarez said this week, while he and other officials watched a training simulation.
“The construction should take a year, so we expect to begin the operation of the terminal in January 2009,” he said.
The new terminal, built on the east side of the existing structure, will be about 13,500 square meters and capable of handling up to 1500 passengers at a time.
The concession will only cover land-side facilities, such as immigration, ticketing and check-in counters, boarding lounges, officers, customs and baggage claim areas.
It will specifically not include airplane parking, taxiways or the airport’s single 2700-meter (8775 feet) runway.
“We have received letters from very recognized companies that are interested in the project,” Mr Álvarez said. “Some of them are international companies.”
Mr Álvarez confirmed Houston Airport System (HAS), which operates the three main airports in Houston and is reportedly the sixth biggest multi-airport system of its type in the world, is known to be interested in the concession.
So too are at least two Canadian companies.
One of them is SNC-Lavelin, which since the early 1970s has worked on a number of airport projects for clients in Canada, the US, Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
The Spanish company, Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea (Aena), which manages 47 airports and one heliport is known to be interested.
As is the Spain-based, AZVI Group. In fact a representative of the Airport Division of the 75-year-old Seville-based, family-run company, flew into Daniel Oduber Airport in June last year for a preliminary study and to meet with airport authorities.
The operators of Chile’s main international terminal in Santiago, SCL, Terminal Aéreo Santiago S.A., has also been in touch with the Costa Ricans. That consortium, of two Chilean, two Spanish and one Canadian company has a 15 year lease on the airport and would be looking for a similar deal in Liberia.
Airport concession’s can be a lucrative business.
The successful bidder is likely to take up to $7 from the $26 currently charged for every departing international passenger. Last year passengers paid about a million dollars in taxes, and that figure is increasing every year.
This year, for example, is likely to see about 400,000 passengers, however there are several critical periods for arriving and departing flights. During the high season it is not uncommon to see ten flights in a three-hour period from about 11am on a Saturday.
Further, Daniel Oduber is often used during evening hours as an emergency airport for flights diverted from San José because of adverse weather.
The final design for the terminal will be up to the government, which is debating two key issues — air bridges for boarding passengers and air-conditioning in key areas.
“Some feel we are contemplating an airport with limited infrastructure and other international companies consider it to be too high an investment for the area,” said Vice-Minister of Transport, Viviana Martin, who was also watching the emergency simulation at the airport this week.
“This feedback will let us see if our primary objective should be an emphasis on greater comfort…air-conditioning, and additional doors or ramps which would imply a greater investment in the commercial area,” Ms Martin said.
“Do we want more luxurious installations and lesser income, or greater income and a limited airport,” she said.
Mr Álvarez said a cost analysis was being put together to determine whether air-conditioning would be included in the tender.
Air bridges, he said, were unlikely.
“In fact, we received several comments and suggestions that deserved to be included in the tender,” Mr Álvarez said. “Many persons recommended we install boarding bridges, but the amount of passengers do not justify them.”
However, what is likely to be considered seriously, is freight facilities.
Most of Guanacaste’s produce for export is first shipped to San José, where freight facilities at Juan Santamariá International Airport allow for air cargo. Mr Álvarez said they will now look at using the old terminal for freight.
“The old terminal will be used for either local flights or cargo,” he said.
“The cargo terminal will be used mainly for flowers and fish exports because other products like melons and pineapples are very heavy and need to be carried by sea.
“The products involved (with freight) must be of high reimbursement value, since the transport costs are high.”
The airport tender document will be released next month.