Vienna reports “impressive” response to Skylink tender

Tina Milton

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The airport sent more than 300 tender documents to interested companies, most of which returned submissions

Flughafen Wien (Vienna Airport) Group has revealed it has had a strong response to the tender for retail space at Vienna International airport’s (VIE) new Skylink terminal.

Vienna head of centre management Franz Svoboda told Ravenfox.com: “We sent out more than 300 tender documents and most of them have been returned to us so we are very impressed. The majority of the bids are from local operators at VIE but they include international companies.”

Svoboda confirmed that incumbents Gebr Heinemann, The Nuance Group and a partnership between Aer Rianta International and Sardana Group were among the companies to table bids for the main duty-free concessions.

The airport authority is now evaluating and comparing the bids and meeting the shortlisted companies and will award the concessions before Christmas.

The new terminal is expected to open at the end of 2008 or the beginning of 2009 and will include 10,000sq m (107,600sq ft) of commercial space. It will serve Schengen and non-Schengen passenger traffic on two separate levels and house 1,400sq m (15,065sq ft) of retail space landside and a further 4,400sq m (47,345sq ft) airside. About 2,900sq m (31,205sq ft) of space will be dedicated to food and beverage outlets (1,800sq m/19,370sq ft landside and 1,100sq m/11,835sq ft airside). It will be the main terminal for flag carrier Austrian Airlines.