NEWS
Move over Thames Estuary Airport, now we have London Britannia Airport, which its supporters claim could become one of the world’s largest hubs handling over 200mppa. Built on a new man-made island in the Thames Estuary, the six-runway gateway would cost in excess of €54 billion and is the TESTRAD Consortium’s response to the Airports Commission’s call for ideas on how the UK can enhance its airport capacity. Unlike Foster+Partners’ plans for a Thames Estuary Airport on the Isle of Grain, London Britannia would be built further down the river and counts consortium members Gensler, Testrad and Royal HaskoningDHV as backers.
Rule Britannia?
“In many respects, this is the most ambitious of all the airport proposals, the least contentious, the easiest and the most cost effective solution,” says Ian Mulcahey, Gensler’s project director and managing director. “Our professional team have spent many months identifying the optimum location in the estuary for the new airport. Unlike the historic Maplin Sands site and the Isle of Grain, we have settled on a location that avoids the sensitive land adjacent to the Estuary, and instead will create a new island.” He notes that passengers would be able to access the new hub airport via high-speed rail.
Abertis has agreed the sale of its airport assets in Europe and the US for a combined fee of close to €850 million. Its stakes in Belfast International (Northern Ireland) and Stockholm Skavsta (Sweden), along with its Orlando Sanford airport terminal concessions and TBI’s airport management business in the US have been sold to ADC & HAS Airports Worldwide for €284 million. Elsewhere, Spanish airport operator, Aena, has agreed a €502 million price for London Luton, subject to approval from competition authorities. As a result of the deal, London Luton will pass from the TBI group – owned 90% by Abertis and 10% by Aena – to a consortium in which Aena holds 51% and AXA Private Equity 49%. Earlier this year, the Welsh government bought Cardiff Airport for €61 million from Abertis, which still owns or manages airports in Mexico and Jamaica, through Desarrollo de Concesiones Aeroportuarias (DCA).
Summer sales
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Kyrgyzstan’s airport operator is seeking investment partners for six airports and is inviting bids to build a food service outlet at Bishkek, the country’s main gateway. Asybek Arstanov, chief financial officer at the joint stock company, Manas International Airport (JSC MIA) told Airport World that the company is seeking investors to manage all aspects of the Kyrgyzstan gateways. The six airports in the tender request are Issyk-Kul, Batken, Isfana, Jalal-Abad, Kazarman and Naryn. At Issyk-Kul airport, JSC MIA estimates a project cost of about $70 million to construct airport facilities, so that the investor could then construct resort and tourism infrastructure. Upgrades at Batken, Isfana, Jalal-Abad and Kazarman are expected to cost $11.5m, $10m, $6.4 million and $6.5 million respectively.
News in brief
Manchester Airport Group (MAG) has reinforced its green credentials by holding on to its A+ rating in corporate social responsibility (CSR) from the Global Reporting Initiative. MAG’s fourth annual CSR report, reveals that it has reduced its carbon emissions by 5,465 tonnes in 2012/13. Melbourne Airport has unveiled plans for a new 97-room apartment hotel in its fast developing airport precinct. It is anticipated that it will meet the growing demand for extended stay accommodation for people engaged in airport or aviation-related business and training activities. Quest, one of Australia’s leading serviced apartment providers, has been secured as the tenant. Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur (ACA) has bought Aéroport du Golfe de St Tropez (AGST) from the Reybier group. ACA also operates Nice Côte d’Azur (NCE) and Cannes-Mandelieu (CEQ) airports. Dominique Thillaud, ACA’s CEO, described St Tropez A \??\?8?'H?]? ^ \?H\?[?][?[??\?? \?\??'K??? [X?XHY] ???][?Z\??\ X\?? ?]?HH??Y[?[? HX\??X? \?] ?[??] ]H?X?????H
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