MACEDONIA. Powerful Turkish group TAV Airports Holding has begun its concession to manage and operate Skopje and Ohrid airports in Macedonia. The company formally signed the 20-year deal with the government on Monday, having been awarded the rights to the business in 2008.
Under the agreement TAV will invest €200 million in the modernisation of the airports. It will also build a dedicated cargo airport later in its contract term.
The agreement covers all areas of business except air traffic control. Skopje Airport handled 599,000 passengers in 2009, while Ohrid handled 36,000.
Macedonia’s Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakieski said: “This is a historic moment for Macedonia, because it marks the beginning of the investment in the modernisation and improvement of aviation infrastructure.”
TAV Airports Holding Operations Director Murat Ornekol said his company would aim to attract larger numbers of airlines to the two airports, and grow passenger traffic in the country.
Gebr Heinemann, which is also a partner with TAV in its ATÜ Duty Free joint venture, has a supply agreement with the airport authority for duty free goods.
In separate TAV news, the airports group has opened negotiations to sell 18% of TAV Tunisie, the holding company that operates the new Enfidha International Airport in Tunisia. It is planning to sell its stake to the Pan African Infrastructure Development Fund.
CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR ALL RELATED STORIES ON TAV AIRPORTS
