Airport News

Turkish airport operator TAV Airports says it is in talks with the country's state airport authority to build a new €100 million international terminal at Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

The terminal would boost capacity at the the third-busiest airport in Europe, which handled 51 million passengers in 2013, and TAV already operates, by more than 10 million travellers.

Chief executive Sani Sener, explains the operator is seeking to raise the capacity from 65 to 70 million, with the building of a new aircraft parking zone.

He says negotiations were continuing with State Airports Authority (DHMI), therefore they had not yet started the work.

TAV has the operational contract at Atatürk Airport until 2021, and Sener says it would be shut down and losses would be compensated by DHMI in the event that the 3rd Istanbul airport opened prior to that date, and TAV would continue operating Atatürk Airport in a contrary situation.

Sener says that DHMI was working in a way that they would invest in Atatürk Airport even up to one day before the opening of the 3rd airport.

"Her is what I know; our contract for Atatürk Airport expires in 2021. Up till now, we have been working to increase the capacity of to 65-70 million. Because THY is rapidly growing," Sener adds.

Stating that they continue to increase the efficiency of Atatürk Airport in collaboration with DHMI, Sener says that an additional 43 parking lots would be created in the areas where the military hangars and cargo and ground handling services facilities were located at Atatürk Airport, increasing the existing number of 99 parking lots to 142.

The proposed new terminal has become a focus after a government plan to replace it with a new airport has been pushed back, as the project to build one of the world's largest airports at a cost of $30 billion has faced delays.

New York's LaGuardia Airport

Sener also says it also expecting a decision in July or August on its joint bid to rebuild and operate a terminal at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

Last year it announced it was part of a consortium behind the bid, which includes TAV shareholder Aeroports de Paris, Goldman Sachs and Tutor Perini.

Saner explains: "We are not in a position to talk about it for the time being. It is a very important airport. It is the second largest airport in New York.

“There will be major privatisations in the USA. We now know that we can operate in the USA. We managed to obtain competence; we were able to establish major partnerships. This was very important for us.”

Sener explained the terminal, was only part of LaGuardia, that has a total of 23.5 million passengers, and the terminal TAV is bidding for has 13.5 million passengers, which they are targeting to increase to 25 million.

The state Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, which operates LaGuardia, opened a tender process in October 2013 for redeveloping and operating the main Central Terminal.

The project is forecasted to be completed by 2021 at a cost of $3.6 billion.