Bucharest tender postponed once more

Print Article E-Mail Article

The final stage of the tender to operate duty-free at Bucharest Otopeni airport has been postponed once more

Valentin Iordache, economic and administration manager at state-owned airport authority AIBO, confirmed to TRW that the final round of bidding would take place at a later date in September after the authority received a letter of protest from an operator whose bid was rejected at an earlier stage in the process. Iordache would not reveal the identity of the operator, but it is believed to be EDF Services, whose subsidiary EDF Asro was ousted from the Otopeni concession in March.

AIBO remains in legal dispute with EDF Asro, which alleges that it was forced out of Otopeni illegally and is suing the airport authority for discrimination and unfair practice. EDF Asro director Marco Katz told TRW that the operator would not give up its case nor its right to contest the tender, but claimed that AIBO was determined to prevent EDF from winning back the concession. EDF Services bid was rejected at the penultimate stage of the process.  

Two bidders were invited to contest the final round of bidding at Bucharest; Israeli operator Sakal Bros and local company Heinrig Impex, whose principal shareholder is Gebr Heinemann. Iordache said AIBO was now considering the complaint lodged by the unnamed operator, and confirmed that the operator could be invited to join Sakal Bros and Heinrig Impex in the final stage of the process.

Further updates will appear on TRW soon.