Fraport AG (Fraport) and joint venture partner TAV Airport Holdings (TAV) have come out as winners in a recent tender for the new 25-year concession for Antalya Airport located at the gateway to the Turkish Riviera. The concession will begin in 2027 when the existing concession, also secured by Fraport and TAV, runs out. It is anticipated that the new concession will be signed by the second quarter 2022, assuming that approval is granted by the Turkish competition and airport authorities. The two companies bid was for €7.25 billion (£6.2 billion), 25% of which will be due 90 days after the closing of the concession contract.
Under the agreement, infrastructure projects will have to be completed before the operational period of the new concession begins. These projects include the expansion of Terminal 2 and the domestic terminal, as well as creating new facilities for VIP/CIP passengers.
Commenting on the successful bid for the new AYT concession, Fraport AG’s CEO Dr. Stefan Schulte said: “We delivered a convincing bid backed by our many years of successfully operating and developing Antalya Airport as one of the world’s premier tourism hubs. Together with our partner TAV, we look forward to continuing this dedication to customer service, innovation and operational excellence in the decades to come.”
Excluding Istanbul, Antalya is Turkey’s busiest airport, catering for 35 million passengers in 2019, just prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 passenger numbers dropped 73% to approximately 9.7 million. Numbers have recovered considerably in 2021 with 20 million passengers catered for in the January-to-October period.
