Birmingham to choose between Alpha and Aelia

Gavin Lipsith

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The UK airport has selected the two retailers from five bidders and aims to make a final decision in March

Birmingham International airport is to choose between incumbent operator Alpha Retail and French rival Aelia when it awards its duty-free concession in April. Aelia confirmed to RavenFox.com that it had been selected from five initial bidders, with Alpha the other finalist.

The contract at Birmingham will run for five to seven years from January next year and includes over 2,200sq m (23,680sq ft) of retail space, including the new 1,110sq m (11,840sq ft) store in terminal one.

Alpha Airports Group CEO Kevin Abbott told RavenFox.com that the company was keen to defend its Birmingham contract strongly. "Although we have had a tough year there we are confident of a quick recovery and long-term growth," he said. "The airport's plan looks great and we would love to be a part of that." For more on the group's ambitions see The Global Travel Retail Summit Special Report, out next week.

Aelia is attempting to expand its international business after an aggressive drive in the UK late last year, when it secured duty-free contracts at Belfast and London Luton airports, displacing incumbent operator The Nuance Group

Spanish retailer Aldeasa, currently the subject of a takeover bid, is also known to have been interested in the tender and met with the Birmingham management late last year. Aer Rianta International was initially interested, but director general Eamon Foley told DFNI (February 1, out next week) that the company had withdrawn from the tender as it did not believe it could capture significant UK market share.