Aena has run out of offers to operate the duty-free shops at the El Prat and Barajas airports, which it had put out to tender along with the duty-free commercial spaces in the rest of its airport network. The estimated turnover for the contest as a whole is 18,000 million euros, according to Aena. But the two main lots have not received any proposals.
The airport manager has received offers for the lease contracts for the duty-free shops at the airports in Andalusia, Levante, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and those in the north of Spain, but not for Madrid or Catalonia, this report has reported. Wednesday in a statement to the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV).
After the deadline for submission of offers, those presented represent 56% of the total amount of the Minimum Guaranteed Annual Rents (RMGA) in 2024 established as the basis for the bidding.
Regarding Lot 1 (Madrid airport) and Lot 4 (those in Catalonia), the joint RMGA in 2024 established as the basis for the tender represent 44% of the total income of all the lots tendered.
Now, Aena will propose to its board of directors the start of a new bidding process. As part of this new process, the contractual clause could be activated according to which the current lessee, the Swiss multinational Dufry, must continue to operate the stores until there is a new award for a maximum period of six months from the date of the Completion of the contracts currently in force, on October 31, 2023.
Last December, Aena launched the largest competition for “duty free” stores in the world, with a value of 18,000 million euros, with more lots, more commercial area, a longer duration and a wider range of products, with which it intended to attract a greater number of European, American and Asian visitors. The duty-free shops business line represents 26% of Aena’s commercial income.
