ICELAND. Travel retailer Icemart has been purchased by Iceland airport authority Leifur Eirikson Air Terminal (FLE), ending a long-standing dispute between the two parties.
Vice-President of FLE and the new Chairman of Icemart Stefan Thorarinsson told The Moodie Report that the takeover was official from 1 June.
He said: “We have been talking together for a long time. Now the matter is solved.” Icemart is a specialist retailer of food and destination items at the airport.
The two parties had been embroiled in a dispute for over two years. The former management of Icemart had alleged that a retail tender called by FLE was a violation of competition laws as it only tendered retail space not occupied by the authority.
Thorarinsson said that the open tender will now continue, after a two-year delay.
He also revealed that there will be a complete refurbishment of the airport terminal’s retail area in the north building by early next year. Plans are already underway, and works are likely to begin later this year.
“We are increasing the area for services and retail for the pleasure of our customers. There will be modernised dwellings in the refurbishment,” he said.
With the refurbishment, the area out for tender will exceed that which was proposed two years ago. Thorarinsson said that the refurbished space, including the main transit area, will be +40% larger.
He added that a new tender will be called “as soon as possible…hopefully later this summer”. And proposals from companies which were submitted over the past two years will be considered.
“There is lots of interest from companies to come in with new services and retail business. We believe that we will have a complete overhaul of our north building,” he said.
MORE STORIES ON THE DISPUTE
Bitter Iceland dispute continues amid settlement talks – 25/05/04
