The management of Barcelona Airport will pass to private hands before the end of the year

Madrid (ACN).- The Spanish Deputy Minister for Transport Isaías Táboas gave details of the Spanish Government’s plans of the partial privatisation of the Spanish Airport Authority AENA and of the private management of the two main airports: Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat. Táboas explained in Madrid that “in a few weeks”, the Government will create the public company ‘Aena Aeropuertos’, 49% of which will be owned by the private sector. This company will own and run all Spanish airports; however, Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat, due to their size, will be owned by ‘Aena Aeropuertos’ but managed by a private company. Táboas explained that similar models are in place in Sweden and Finland. The Spanish Government expects not only to increase revenues but to improve efficiency with the move. In Catalonia, this initiative is being watched closely. The Catalan business sector and public administrations had asked on several occasions to participate in the strategic decisions regarding Barcelona El Prat, as they were denouncing that AENA was giving Madrid Barajas more weight over the Catalan airport. They were disappointed when in 2010 the Spanish Government announced that the private sector will own 49% of AENA Aeropuertos and the remaining 51% will remain in the hands of Spanish State, as Catalan participation had been disregarded. The model of the private management of Barcelona El Prat is seen as positive by Catalan political and business forces if they have a strategic say in the public company that controls the private concession. However, it appears to not be the case.

Táboas explained that the Spanish Government has already had informal contacts with some private companies to raise interest in the public competition that will be open to allocate the management of Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat. Once Aena Aeropuerrtos is created “in a few weeks”, in mid July the public company that has to run the public competition to give the private concession will also be created. This company will then open the competition, which will take place in two phases. The first will see the candidates being asked to present non-binding offers. After that a first selection will be made. The pre-selected companies will pass to the second phase, where binding offers will be required. Before the end of the year the final decision will be taken and we will get to know which private company will manage Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona El Prat.

Táboas also gave some details on the partial privatisation process of AENA. It will also be carried out in several phases, following the recommendations of the bank that the Spanish Government will hire. 49% of private capital will be obtained by this bank, which will be in charge of negotiating for the Government to obtain funds from private investors. The Spanish Government’s objective is to transform ‘Aena Aeropuertos’ in the top airport operator in the world.