Farewell to duty-free at Bucharest, say reports

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According to the Romanian press, the country's transport minister Miron Mitrea has decided to put an end to duty-free sales at Bucharest Otopeni airport in preparation for Romania's eventual accession to the EU, scheduled for 2007

The reports come amid another postponement of the drawn-out tender to run duty-free at the location, where shops have been closed since former incumbent EDF Asro's eviction in March.

But Valentin Iordache, economic and administration manager at state-run airport authority AIBO told TRW he was unaware of any decree to end duty-free at Bucharest. "I am expecting clarification of the government's position later in the week," he said.

AIBO had hoped to announce a winner in the Bucharest tender yesterday, but the process has been held up by a formal protest from EDF Services - parent company of EDF Asro - whose bid was rejected at an earlier stage. Israeli operator Sakal Bros and local operator Heinrig Impex, part-owned by Gebr Heinemann, were invited to contest the final round of bidding.

Meanwhile, EDF Asro is continuing its legal action against AIBO, which pulled out of its financial involvement in the operator last January. EDF Asro alleges discrimination and unfair practice on the part of the authority.

• Full updates will appear on TRW and in the next issue of Duty-Free News International, out on September 15.