TURKEY. The joint venture between TAV Airports and Fraport has secured a further 25-year contract to manage Antalya Airport, following a bid process. The concession will now run to the end of 2051, with the partners pledging to invest €765 million and to raise the annual passenger capacity of the airport to 80 million.
A quarter of the amount bid will be paid upfront to the Turkish State Airports Authority (DHMI). The two companies already co-manage the airport through their existing JV as part of a concession agreement that is due to end in December 2026.
TAV Airports and Fraport offered the highest bid in a tender held in the Turkish capital Ankara today. Another joint venture, Vnukovo-INTEKAR Yapi, also participated. First opened in 1960, Antalya Airport served 35.7 million passengers in 2019.
TAV Airports President and CEO Sani Şener said: “As TAV, we focus only on the airport industry. Together with our partner Fraport, we led a successful operation for the last three and a half years in Antalya, which is the largest tourism destination in the Mediterranean. Antalya reached its historical high in passenger traffic during this period. Amid the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are confident that Antalya will grow further with its natural and cultural riches and its developed tourism infrastructure.
“We plan to begin the investment to realise the necessary capacity increase in the airport at the earliest possible time. Today, we once again reiterate our commitment to invest in Turkey and our confidence in the future of the Turkish aviation market. As partners, we will use our extensive know-how to further realise the potential that Antalya offers.”
Fraport AG 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.”
The TAV-Fraport JV will invest around €600 million in the first phase and €765 million over the term to double the existing capacity. As part of the agreement, Terminal 2 will be extended to 190,000sq m (from 82,000sq m), and will serve as the main international terminal. The domestic terminal will be expanded to 78,000sq m from 37,000sq m today. In 2040, a new 70,000sq m international terminal will open.
Among other projects, an additional 1 million sq m of apron area will be built and the number of parking positions will increase to 181 from 106, while the number of passenger bridges at the terminals will increase from 20 to 38.
A new multi-storey carpark will have a heliport on its roof, which room for eight helicopters. New general aviation and cargo terminals will be built together with access roads to divert traffic from the main passenger routes. These investments will be completed within three years, without interrupting operations, said the partners.
