SPAIN. Aena has begun the process of renewing the leases of self-drive vehicle hire services at 38 airports across its Spanish network. The new contracts – with durations of between five and eight years – will come into force in November 2024.
The airport operator observed that this is one of the world’s largest procurement processes for car rental services, an activity with an estimated €10 billion turnover over the life of the new contracts.
Aena noted that 4.6 million self-drive vehicles are hired across its airports in Spain every year. This line of business is Aena’s third largest in terms of commercial revenue, generating sales of around €1.2 billion each year for the operators.
Aena Director General for Commercial and Real Estate María José Cuenda announced key aspects of the tendering process at last week’s Perspective Forum, held as part of the 2023 Global Mobility Call in Madrid.
Cuenda revealed that the new call for tenders proposes a more flexible model in which closed lots of spaces have been eliminated, allowing companies to select the number of spaces they require, with rents adapted to the different operator profiles.
The call for tenders is planned for early next year and will include more than 21,700 car spaces (3,500 more than in the previous tender).
The number of available licences has also been increased to 218 (48 more than at present) and the possibility is being considered of creating two maintenance centres at Palma de Mallorca and Málaga-Costa del Sol airports.
Aena currently has contracts with 16 operators at 34 airports in its Spanish network that expire on 31 October 2024.
Contracts are included for the development of self-drive vehicle hire rental activity at the corporate aviation terminals of the main airports (Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca and Málaga-Costa del Sol).
Aena said it intends to maximise the value of this line of business and attract as many operators as possible with the aim of improving the quality of service offered to passengers.
To this end, the airport operator said it is committed to the digitalisation of the service and the implementation of the latest technologies in the sector. 
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