Beijing Capital International Airport duty-free tender launched

CHINA. Beijing Capital Airport Commercial & Trading Co (BACT) has released a two-pronged open tender covering the departures and arrivals duty-free concessions at Beijing Capital International Airport.

The tender covers terminals 2 and 3, with a total duty-free area exceeding 14,000sq m and a concession period of nearly eight years, running until 10 February 2034.

The incumbent is CDF-Sunrise Duty Free. In 2017 BACT awarded the two concessions to China Duty Free Group (T2) and Sunrise Duty Free (T3), respectively, following a similar dual tender. Before that the businesses were run under a single concession by Sunrise Duty Free.

As reported, China Duty Free Group completed the 51% acquisitions of Sunrise Duty Free (Shanghai) Co Ltd and Sunrise Duty Free (China) Co Ltd during 2017 and 2018.

As a result the two Chinese powerhouses commenced joint operations of the duty-free stores at Shanghai Pudong International, Shanghai Hongqiao and Beijing Capital International airports.

BACT said the 2025 tender marks a new strategic allocation of commercial resources at Beijing’s main aviation hub.

“As one of China’s most critical aviation gateways, this large-scope tender for duty-free concessions at Beijing Capital International Airport represents a significant market-oriented operation of its commercial assets,” the company observed.

“It is also a key measure to enhance passenger consumption experience and boost the airport’s non-aeronautical revenue. The commencement of this new operational cycle signals that Beijing’s airport commercial services are poised to enter a new phase of development.”

Tender overview

Remarkably substantial in its scope, the tender involves a total combined area reaching 14,213.07sq m, of which 2,355.28sq m is arrivals duty-free space, and 11,857.79sq m is allocated to departures.

The tender is divided into two concessions:

Concession 1 (T3): Total area of 10,646.74sq m

• Arrivals duty-free shop: 1,938.72sq m
• T3E departures duty-free shop:  8,310.19sq m
• T3D departures duty-free shop: 397.83sq m

Concession 2 (T2): Total area of 3,566.33sq m

• Arrivals duty-free shop: 416.56sq m
• Departures duty-free shop: 3,149.77sq m

Bidders may submit proposals for both, but a single bidder can be awarded no more than one concession.

The tender announcement explicitly states that if a bidder is ranked as the top candidate for both concessions, they must voluntarily withdraw from one of them.

This measure is designed to “ensure operational diversity and foster healthy competition”.

In its tender announcement, BACT set qualification requirements for bidders:

• Bidders must be domestic enterprises with duty-free business qualifications, or reputable foreign-invested enterprises with a proven track record.
• They must be legally registered within the territory of the People’s Republic of China and possess independent legal person status.
• They must have no record of serious breach of trust in the past three years; relevant verifications will be conducted.
• Affiliated entities are prohibited from bidding for the same tender section, and consortium bids are not accepted in this tender.

The tender documents remain available for purchase from 28 November to 6 December. The tenderer will organise a site visit on 10 December to allow potential bidders to gain an in-depth understanding of the venue conditions.

The deadline for submission of bid documents is 9am (Beijing time) on 19 December. ✈