BAA lands Keflavik consultancy

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BAA International's consultancy service, launched in March this year, has landed a contract at Keflavik airport, Iceland to advise airport management and devise a 25-year plan to develop the airport, including its retail operations.

This work follows on from an initial contract undertaken by BAA Retail to assess space planning at the airport. The new contract began in September for a six-month period. BAA said it may broaden its involvement when the airport begins the tendering process for its 2,000sq m (21,520sq ft) retail space later this year.

Keflavik is conducting a development programme to expand and enhance the airport's operation following the combining of the management teams of the airport and the duty-free store into a limited liability company, Leifur Eiriksson Air Terminal Ltd (LET), which took full effect from October 2000. The integration of the two operational areas created one of Iceland's largest companies. The new company invited BAA International to undertake a wide-ranging consultancy study to assess its full potential.

The focus of development has been the building of a new terminal which opened in March. The floor space totals around 16,000 sq m (172,160sq ft) with over 2,000 sq m of retail space. This year will also see the expansion of the check-in hall, including five new multiple-use check-in counters to improve passenger service.

BAA International Retail's Duncan Tolson said: "Keflavik is not only an exciting destination but also has a remarkable history and the LET management clearly has a strong commitment to developing a highly efficient, comfortable and commercially effective airport. That is very much in tune with our own philosophy at BAA. We are delighted to work with a management team that is not only alert to the opportunities available but also has the commitment and imagination to create a unique experience at Keflavik and further enhance its proud reputation."

LET managing director Hoskuldur Asgeirsson added: "It is a huge benefit to gain  'one-stop' consultancy advice that is capable of understanding and accurately assessing every area of our operations. I am especially impressed by the careful balance that BAA strikes in its combining of operational and retail issues at the airport. We want to fully utilise all available retail revenue opportunities but without ever compromising on operational efficiency. BAA's unique expertise enables us to do exactly that."