Unique begins Bangalore selection process

Gavin Lipsith

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Swiss airport authority Unique Zurich is hoping to have detailed discussions with up to five duty-free operators over opportunities at the new Bangalore International airport

Unique Zurich is to begin the selection process for the new Bangalore International airport within two months, the company has revealed. The airport authority, which is part of the consortium that will operate the private airport when it opens in 2008, said it had not decided on the exact nature of the selection process but is likely to hold a closed tender with selected parties invited for detailed discussions.

The selection of commercial tenants had been put on hold while the consortium considered new plans for the airport's runways and terminal buildings, after new traffic projections suggested greater than anticipated passenger numbers when the airport opens. Unique head of marketing and real estate Peter Eriksson told RavenFox.com that the company would start thinking about commercial tenants once the redesign had been approved.

He said: "We hope to start the process in the next couple of months, and we have already been having initial talks with several retailers. We have not decided how to run the selection process, but we are likely to run a closed tender with invited parties. After the pre-selection process we will hope to have detailed discussions with between three and five duty-free retailers."

Eriksson said that the rest of the airport's commercial offer, including speciality and catering outlets, would be determined at a later stage.