Aena $19 Billion Tender Results In Shake Up Of Spanish Airport Retail Market

Aena $19 Billion Tender Results In Shake Up Of Spanish Airport Retail Market

Shops at Palma de Mallorca Airport. Spanish airports operator Aena has made awards in four of the six concession packages for the management of duty-free shops across the entire country, covering 27 airports in total. The initial $19 billion tender was launched in December, and today's announcement means a new operator has entered the Spanish duty-free market. Two of the six lots received no bids and will have to be re-tendered while three out of the rest—covering 23 airports—have been awarded to the incumbent Dufry as follows: Andalusia-Mediterranean (which includes the key airport of Málaga); the Canary Islands to Canariensis (La Sociedad de Distribución Comercial Aeroportuaria de Canarias) a Dufry company; and the Balearic Islands. Meanwhile, the 'Northern Airports' lot which includes airports in Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country have been won by Lagardère Travel Retail giving the French duty-free operator a foothold in the Spanish duty-free market for the first time. Prior to this, the company mainly had some fashion and news stores in the country's airports. Although airports in the north of Spain are not in high demand compared to the southern gateways that offer access to Spain's popular seaside resorts, Bilbao was ranked 12th in