Madeira makeover: €11 million airport investment sees new walk-through duty free

PORTUGAL. Madeira Airport today inaugurated an ambitiously renovated commercial area, featuring a diverse line-up of new stores covering more than 1,800m sq m. The expansion, driven by airport operator ANA Group*, has created 70 new jobs.

A highlight of the revamped commercial zone is an enhanced duty free store (operated by Dufry joint venture LFP-Lojas Francas de Portugal and ANAM-Aeroportos da Madeira), featuring a new walk-through concept and the ‘Portfolio’ store, dedicated to Portuguese items.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by His Excellency, the President of the Regional Government of Madeira, along with other VIPs.

Operational improvements have also been introduced as part of a total €11 million investment. These involved strengthening and re-profiling the runway and increasing its usable area by 1,500sq m, and adding seven new passenger and hand baggage screening lines. The latter have important commercial implications too as they will enable passenger processing volumes to be increased by +83%, the airport company said.

welcome to a new airport
The tagline says it all: ‘Vindo a um novo aeroporto;’ Welcome to a new airport

The opening comes at a buoyant time for the airport, which last year handled an all-time high 2.7 million passengers, up +6.3% on 2014.

ANA Group said that it will now be possible to process 1,400 passengers per hour, almost double the pre-renovation rate of 720. In commercial terms, the improvements will drive a +32% growth in airside sales, the company projected.

The company said: “This modernisation aims to improve the passengers’ experience of using the airport, with a commitment to an increased and diverse choice, but also with a strong commitment to increase the capacity of security control, so that passengers spend less time waiting in queues.”

ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal President of the Board, Jorge Ponce de Leão
A proud Portuguese moment as ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal President of the Board Jorge Ponce de Leão celebrates the Grand Opening of the revamped area at Madeira Airport
flowers and regional president
Miguel Albuquerque, President of the Regional Government of Madeira, accepts a floral gift

, COMMERCIAL FOCUS

The commercial improvements have been driven by several key principles:

  • The relocation and increased area for the main duty free shop, adopting a walk-through concept;
  • Relocation, expansion, diversification and improvement in the specialised retail areas;
  • An improved range of restaurants and the introduction of several new concepts, including an outdoor terrace area with a view of the sea and the runway;
great shot of duo
(Above and below) ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal President of the Board, Jorge Ponce de Leão and President of Regional Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, celebrate a landmark day

ribbon

OPERATIONAL FOCUS

At an operational level, the key improvements are:

  • An increase in the passenger screening area from 650sq m to 1,500sq m;
  • The provision of seven new passenger and hand baggage screening lines and the consequent doubling of processing capacity for passenger screening (from 720 pax per hour to 1,400);
  • Doubling the waiting and passport verification area (from 300sq to 650sq m);
  • Adopting a variable configuration for the Departure lounges, permitting the areas assigned for Schengen and non-Schengen flights to be altered and easily adapted to the traffic profile for each day;
  • The creation of a transfer hall;
  • The provision of three more departure gates (one Schengen and two non-Schengen).
  • Strengthening and re-profiling bituminous paving: runway, taxiways and surrounding areas.

MAIN COMMERCIAL ZONE CHANGES

DUTY FREE: The old 350sq m shop has been replaced by a 800sq m store. This features a contemporary design that allows the various display areas and product presentations to be highlighted. The incorporation of regional characteristics – flowers, costumes, and the local lifestyle – is inherent to the concept:

Duty Free Store 1

Duty Free Store 4

DutyFreeStore1

As mentioned, the new space features a walk-through format, described by ANA as “a common circulation area inside the store, with an appropriate and intuitive circulation route for passengers, without repercussions for the operational dynamics of the airport”.

Particular emphasis has been placed on the ‘Taste Madeira’ space, emphasising the importance of local goods.

Hitting the right note

local dancersPORTFOLIO: The Portfolio store, which features over 200sq m of shopping space, is designed as a “unique way to project an image of our country and of Madeira, making them into a destination to rediscover”.

The brand ‘Portfolio – Made of Portugal’ is a concept developed by ANA Aeroportos, and run by Spanish concessionaire Areas.

Ceilings in pine, finishes in azulejos (ceramic tiles) with patterns from Madeira’s fabrics, and the use of cork are some of the details incorporated in the space.

made of portugal
(Above and below) Portuguese pride to the fore at Portfolio

portfolio2“An airport is not only a place of passage, but also a valuable opportunity to create and foster the image of the destination in which it is located,” said ANA.

ANA said the Portfolio store is centered on a new brand “Made of Portugal”.

The company said: “It lives and breathes the authenticity, originality, creativity and innovation of which Portugal is made. [It offers] A veritable portfolio of Portuguese qualities, expressed in the language and imagery associated with the brand, and a reflection of the excellence and quality that Portugal needs people to discover, the most important aspects it has to offer: its experiences and emotions.”

The store’s key segments are defined as Culture, Fashion, Flavours, Crafts and Design.

FOOD COURT:  The remodelled food court on level 3 features the concepts Specially (pictured below), Cockpit, Pizza Hut and Buondi. Besides an enhanced food offer, it boasts view over the sea and the runway from the outdoor terrace.

SpeciallyLevel 2, incorporated in the departure lounges, features an extended F&B offer, including a Buondi café in the non-Schengen area, and a Specially outlet incorporated in the Schengen departure lounge with a sea view.

Nice pax shot

OTHER COMMERCIAL CONCEPTS AND BRANDS: The remaining commercial area includes stores such as Travel & Business Gate (featuring Rimowa, Tumi, Victorinox and Samsonite) and Fashion Gate (offering Desigual, Pepe Jeans, Diesel, Butterfly, and Lambretta, among others). ‘Football Gate’ features a sports offer, including football, running and motorsport. Kits, accessories and gadgets are on offer, including merchandise from various European football clubs.

Other stores include Sunglass Hut (with brands such as Ray Ban, Persol and Oakley) and Attitude (a premium, multi-brand store, offering a diverse line-up including Boss, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, SuperDry and Swarovski).

Gifts to Go is a children’s store offering toys and games.

Other offers include stationery-to-news concept Relay; Parfois (below), a Portuguese fashion accessories brand; and Chocolate Lounge, dedicated to the world’s finest chocolate brands, including Godiva, Neuhaus, Valrhona, Arcádia, Villars, Leónidas and Goldkenn.

The Sweet Colors store features jelly sweets, gum, chocolates, caramels, biscuits, cookies and themed presents.

parfois

Sweet ColorsGelati di Chef, a new concept, presents a wide range of ice cream and frozen desserts, offered together with traditional cookies and cones.

The Ale-Hop and Pandora stores will open shortly. Ale-Hop is an accessory and gadget store, while the Pandora shop will be the first jewellery store operated directly by the brand on Madeira.

*ABOUT ANA GROUP:  ANA manages ten airports in Portugal. In September 2013, it became part of the Vinci Airports group.

 *About VINCI Airports:  Vinci Airports manages the development and operations of 34 airports: 12 in France, ten in Portugal, three in Cambodia, two in Japan, six in Dominican Republic and Santiago airport in Chile.

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