US. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) has this week denied a protest filed by The Nuance Group over the award of the duty free concession to Duty Free Americas (DFA) last month.
Nuance is the incumbent duty free retailer at Washington, where it has operated since 1994. It is scheduled to vacate the airport and turn over the concession to DFA on 31 May 2003.
According to Nuance’s General Counsel, Kathy Kendall, Nuance filed the protest on 14 April and raised questions about the procedure, the availability of the DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) partner and the “financial stability” of the concession winner. “We have some serious questions about how the contract was awarded,” Kendall said, speaking to Travel Markets Insider. “Because of the controversy, we are asking MWAA to maintain the status quo until they look into the situation.”
Kendall said Nuance’s claim is that MWAA selected DFA without consulting the MWAA Board of Directors. The Nuance claim also hinges on the reason it was given for the airport’s selection, that the DBE component of DFA’s bid was stronger. DFA’s DBE partner is a company primarily owned by businesswoman Bettye Dixon, based in California. DFA and Concourse Concessions bid jointly as Dulles Duty Free. MWAA refutes the allegations in a formal letter to Nuance.
In a joint statement DFA’s Simon Falic and Bettye Dixon said Dulles Duty Free had completed a thorough and fair RFP process. “We are disappointed by the reaction of a losing bidder, which includes various distortions and inaccuracies,” they said.
Travel Markets Insider specialises in travel retail news from the Americas. To subscribe, contact Lois Pasternak at editor@travelmarketsinsider.net
