Big money for new Istanbul airport
The Turkish government has awarded the concession to build and operate Istanbul ’ s new € 8 billion gateway to Turkey ’ s Cengiz-Kolin-Limak-Mapa-Kalyon consortium .
The consortium won the contract after agreeing to pay the Turkish government a hefty € 22.1 billion over a 25 year period following the airport ’ s planned 2017 opening .
The news is a huge blow for both Turkish airport operator , TAV Airports Holding , and Germany ’ s Fraport Group , both of which made it through to the final stage in the bidding session .
Both TAV and Fraport – the latter bidding in a joint venture with Turkey ’ s IC Holding – withdrew from the race when the price for the airport soared beyond their expectations .
TAV Airports CEO , Dr Sani Sener , commented : “ Knowing that this is not solely a construction project , but operational capability is pivotal , we have declared that we would not aim at winning the tender at any cost . Such an approach would jeopardise the company ’ s health , as well as the future of the Turkish economy and aviation sector .
“ As per our smart growth strategy , we ’ ll continue to pursue new opportunities around the world . I hope that the result of this tender would benefit highly our country and its aviation industry .”
The new airport will eventually have three runways – for simultaneous use – and a capacity of up to 150mppa .
Russia looking to the East
The Russian government is planning to invest $ 3.2 billion on upgrading the airports in its Far East Federal District , according to Economic Development Minister , Andrei Belousov .
According to preliminary design documentation revealed by the Belousov , work will start on the revamp in the coming months in a bid to modernise the main gateways of the largest of Russia ’ s eight federal districts by 2017 .
The first airports to benefit from the modernisation and reconstruction programme are expected to be Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Ulan-Ude , as Russia ’ s Ministry of Transport recently announced that they lacked the infrastructure and technology to match their “ strategic importance ”.
They will be followed by projects at a further 59 small to medium size airports across the Far East Federal District .
Belousov claims that the upgrade will act as a catalyst for the growth of long-distance domestic flights within Russia as well as new international services to destinations such as the Middle Asia and North America .
What ’ s cooking at Heathrow
The hosts of the TV show MasterChef UK – John Torode and Gregg Wallace – have been signed up as official food tasters for Heathrow Airport .
The pair – two of the UK ’ s best known food lovers – have been given six months to improve the dining experience at the airport ’ s 73 F & B outlets . They have also been tasked with introducing healthier food choices across the terminals and creating a platform to champion British culinary talent . Their experiences will be used to form Heathrow ’ s first ever food guide .
Ben Crowley , head of F & B at Heathrow , said : “ We want to continue to innovate to be the best in our league for airport dining .”
NEWS
Honolulu upgrade commences
An extensive improvement project at Honolulu International Airport has begun with groundbreaking for a new Aloha Air Cargo ( AAC ) facility .
The $ 12m AAC terminal , being built with private investment , will consolidate cargo operations , support offices and customer service operations into a single location .
The facility is part of the gateway ’ s $ 750m overhaul under a state-wide Hawaii Airports Modernisation Program designed to ensure that it is equipped to handle rising traffic demand .
The facelift will include runway and taxiway improvements as well as the new Diamond Head Commuter Terminal and L-shaped Muaka Concourse , which is to be built on the site of the current commuter terminal .
Completion of the entire project is scheduled for the third quarter of 2017 .
For daily news updates , visit www . airport-world . com
Terminal 2B at Paris-CDG has closed for a facelift . Operator , Aéroports de Paris ( ADP ), claims that after 30 years service , the time is right for its “ significant redevelopment ”. It insists that the revamp is part of its drive to “ increase the satisfaction of passengers and airlines by adapting facilities to the highest standards of quality ”.
Melbourne Airport has welcomed the Federal Government ’ s approval of its Southern Precinct Program . Phase 1 of the project includes development of a new domestic terminal facility ,
17 new aircraft parking bays , dedicated ground transport facilities and significant road upgrades . Melbourne Airport CEO , Chris Woodruff , said : “ We will look to finalise discussions with our airline customers with a view to the new terminal being operational by mid 2015 .”
The UK ’ s Lydd Airport is to be revived as a “ small regional airport ” after the government gave the go-ahead for a € 9 million expansion plan . The airport – also known as London Ashford Airport – was first opened in the 1950s and , at its height in the mid 1960s , handled 250,000 passengers a year . The new plans will increase passenger capacity to 500,000 per year and create more than 300 new jobs for the area .
Stockholm Arlanda has officially inaugurated its new-look Terminal 2 , claiming that a 2,000sqm expansion of the facility makes it bigger , better and more “ passenger-friendly ”. The expansion has allowed for the introduction of a range of new retail and F & B outlets and is expected to boost passenger flows . The near € 50 million upgrade is expected to be completed in 2015 with the addition of a new baggage sorting system .
AIRPORT WORLD / JUNE-JULY 2013
11