ARI wins tender at second Moscow airport

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Aer Rianta International (ARI) has won a five-year contract for new spaces at Moscow Domodedovo airport, bolstering the group's position in the Russian market

Aer Rianta International (ARI) has won a five-year contract for new spaces at Moscow Domodedovo airport, bolstering the group's position in the Russian market. The company's Aerofirst joint venture is the main duty-free operator at Moscow Sheremetyevo airport.
ARI, in partnership with a local company (not related to its Aerofirst partners) will operate around 500sq m of space on three levels at Domodedovo, where Weitnauer is already the main duty-free operator. The new stores will open in March 2004.

ARI regional director Bill Maxwell told DFNI: ?Winning this tender gives us an opportunity to enter one of the fastest growing airports in the region, and boosts our strong Sheremetyevo business. It's also a way for us to protect our business in Russia, where the overall duty-free market is growing. Although the spaces are quite small, we want to establish ourselves there and have the opportunity to develop.?

ARI has also negotiated deals to open new stores at Almaty airport, Kazakhstan and Tashkent airport, Uzbekistan. Maxwell said operations would begin in the next six months.

In other news, ARI-North America is negotiating an extension to its Montreal Dorval airport contract, due to expire in 2006. ARI operates at both Dorval and Mirabel airports in the city. Mirabel is closing next October with flights switching to Dorval. ARI is expected to open a larger, 30,000sq ft store at Dorval as a result.

ARI also confirmed that it had bid for the 10-year duty-free contract at Toronto International, where bids were lodged on Friday. Maxwell said: ?We believe we have made a competitive bid, but it will be a tough decision for the airport as there is a lot of competition.?

Also this month, the company opened two new stores at Ottowa International, where a new terminal has opened. ?It's a top-class airport,? said Maxwell, ?and we're pleased to be part of it.?