Chile's public works ministry 7820 MOP has launched a long-delayed tender to expand and operate Santiago's international airport, the first big project to be awarded under President Michelle Bachelet's administration.
The US$655 million project entails the construction of a 200,000 sq m terminal with two wings exclusively for international flights and two additional wings that will alternate between international and domestic flights.
The tender was initially expected to be launched last year, under former President Sebastián Piñera's administration, but disputes between MOP and aviation authorities delayed the project. It suffered further delays when Bachelet took office as the new administration changed tender rules to allow more companies to bid in the process.
The airport expansion aims to serve 29 million passengers by 2030 and 50 million by 2045. Santiago accounts for nearly 70 per cent of Chile's airport passenger traffic. Passenger traffic is estimated to grow between five and nine per cent in the next four years to break the 20 million mark in 2018.
Companies reportedly interested in bidding include French airport operator Aéroports de Paris, Germany's Flughafen München and Fraport, Mexican airport operator GAP, Argentina's Corporación América and Colombian firm Opain, concessionaire of Bogotá's El Dorado international airport.
The US$655 million project entails the construction of a 200,000 sq m terminal with two wings exclusively for international flights and two additional wings that will alternate between international and domestic flights.
The tender was initially expected to be launched last year, under former President Sebastián Piñera's administration, but disputes between MOP and aviation authorities delayed the project. It suffered further delays when Bachelet took office as the new administration changed tender rules to allow more companies to bid in the process.
The airport expansion aims to serve 29 million passengers by 2030 and 50 million by 2045. Santiago accounts for nearly 70 per cent of Chile's airport passenger traffic. Passenger traffic is estimated to grow between five and nine per cent in the next four years to break the 20 million mark in 2018.
Companies reportedly interested in bidding include French airport operator Aéroports de Paris, Germany's Flughafen München and Fraport, Mexican airport operator GAP, Argentina's Corporación América and Colombian firm Opain, concessionaire of Bogotá's El Dorado international airport.
