Nuance joint venture to begin new contract at Antalya

Tina Milton

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The Nuance Group’s Turkish joint venture is to begin its 17-year contract for the exclusive operation of duty-free shops at all Antalya airports imminently

The duty-free contract betwee The Nuance Group joint venture Urart and the airport’s new operators, a consortium between Fraport and IC Holding, for the exclusive operation of the duty-free business at Antalya airport will begin on September 14. It gives Urart the right to operate duty-free shops at all of Antalya’s terminals until 2024. In the initial phase Urart will operate the duty-free business at terminal one as well as the CIP international terminal and T2 will be added to the portfolio from September 24 2009. The contract's sales value over its 17 year duration is estimated at €3.2bn (4.4bn).

Urart, the joint venture between The Nuance Group (55%) and Net Holding (45%), has managed the duty-free concession at Antalya’s terminal one since 1998 and currently runs the main departures and arrivals stores as well as 16 speciality stores totally in 1,850sq m. The airport welcomed 14.8m passengers in 2006.

President and CEO The Nuance Group Roberto Graziani said: “We are looking forward to shaping the face of Antalya airport’s retail experience even more strongly in the future and we thank our airport partners for their trust and support for this new era in our cooperation. My thanks also go to my team in Turkey for their extraordinary efforts resulting in this achievement for our company.”

Nuance-Net joint venture managing director Cengiz Iman said: “My team and I look forward to continuing our excellent partnership with Fraport-IC established over the last ten years, which has led to the extension and expansion of this very important contract. Antalya is a key airport for tourism in Turkey and it is our ambition to present visitors and locals alike with truly outstanding shopping experience at all terminals.”