Dufry set for Tenerife win

John Gallagher

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The Swiss retailer has secured the duty-paid concession at Reina Sofia airport, RavenFox.com has learned

RavenFox.com understands that Spanish airport authority AENA has awarded the duty-paid concession for Reina Sofia International airport in southern Tenerife to Swiss travel retailer Dufry Group.

Dufry tabled the highest financial bid of €9.1m ($11.4m) when the airport authority opened the bids last May. After analysing bidders' technical and commercial proposals, AENA has decided to give a big retail contract to a non-Spanish operator for the first time. The other bidders for the 1,110sq m (11,950sq ft) outlet were incumbent operator Aldeasa, catering and gift shop operator Areas and Alpha Retail (DFNI May 15).

Neither AENA nor Dufry were able to confirm the news but official confirmation is expected early next week.

The award of the Tenerife South concession to Dufry is a significant development in the Spanish travel-retail market. For many years—first as a state-owned company and later as a private business—Aldeasa has operated throughout the Spanish airport network with very little direct competition. AENA now looks certain to consider proposals from other operators when its contract with Aldeasa expires at the end of 2006.