A consortium involving Aer Rianta has been shortlisted for a $300 million (€340 million) contract to develop and operate two airports in Cyprus. The Hermes group, backed by the airport authorities of Vancouver and Nice, was one of five selected by the island's communications and works ministry.
It is linked to a French engineering group, Eouigues, and some small Cypriot firms. Four other rival bids involving British, Italian and Spanish firms were also selected for the second round of the competition.
They are: the Alterra consortium; Cyprus Gateway Airports; Fraport Ag; and Project Pegasus. Final bids are expected in the first three months of the new year and a decision is expected by September.
Large groups such as the British Airports Authority and the Scandinavian construction group Skanska were eliminated in the first round.
Aer Rianta International owns 48.25 per cent of Birmingham airport; half of Dⁿsseldorf airport; and 7.2 per cent of the airport in Hamburg. In addition, the company operates duty-free stores in 20 airports and in states such as Canada, Russia, Greece and Qatar.
Its international division reported post-tax profits of £11.2 million (€14.2 million) last year, 58 per cent more than in 1999. A spokesman for the State-owned company said its role in the bid was that of consultant and its involvement did not necessarily mean that it would operate duty-free stores if the bid was successful. Aer Rianta did not plan to invest capital as part of its membership, he said.
Last year, the company withdrew from a competition to take a stake in Turin airport. It decided against bidding for Sydney airport earlier last March.
