Skip to main content

Chile finally launches Santiago's airport tender

Chile's public works ministry MOP has launched a long-delayed tender to expand and operate Santiago's international airport, the first big project to be awarded under President Michelle Bachelet's administration. The US$655 million project entails the construction of a 200,000 sq m terminal with two wings exclusively for international flights and two additional wings that will alternate between international and domestic flights. The tender was initially expected to be launched last year, under former
June 24, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Chile's public works ministry 7820 MOP has launched a long-delayed tender to expand and operate Santiago's international airport, the first big project to be awarded under President Michelle Bachelet's administration.

The US$655 million project entails the construction of a 200,000 sq m terminal with two wings exclusively for international flights and two additional wings that will alternate between international and domestic flights.

The tender was initially expected to be launched last year, under former President Sebastián Piñera's administration, but disputes between MOP and aviation authorities delayed the project. It suffered further delays when Bachelet took office as the new administration changed tender rules to allow more companies to bid in the process.

The airport expansion aims to serve 29 million passengers by 2030 and 50 million by 2045. Santiago accounts for nearly 70 per cent of Chile's airport passenger traffic. Passenger traffic is estimated to grow between five and nine per cent in the next four years to break the 20 million mark in 2018.

Companies reportedly interested in bidding include French airport operator Aéroports de Paris, Germany's Flughafen München and Fraport, Mexican airport operator GAP, Argentina's Corporación América and Colombian firm Opain, concessionaire of Bogotá's El Dorado international airport.

Related Content

  • January 23, 2015
    Brazil green lights airport concession for Florianópolis
    Brazil's civil aviation minister Eliseu Padilha has given the thumbs up to include the international airport of southern Santa Catarina state capital Florianópolis in the next round of airport concessions, following lobby efforts by mayor César Souza Júnior last year. The project calls for the expansion of Hercilio Luz international airport by expanding the airport's flight line and taxiway as well as building a new parking lot with 1,800 spaces. A second project involves expanding the airport's passenge
  • August 13, 2014
    Chile renews IRD weigh station maintenance contract
    PAT Traffic, International Road Dynamics’ wholly-owned subsidiary in Santiago, Chile has been awarded the renewal of a contract by Direccion Nacional de Vialidad, MOP Chile, for the maintenance and service of IRD-PAT automated truck weigh stations installed by IRD.
  • September 5, 2014
    Chile needs major smart city investment
    Chile needs to invest US$30 billion in telecom infrastructure over the next ten years to boost its potential to develop smart cities, according to Pelayo Covarrubias, board president of digital development organisation País Digital. During a seminar on smart cities, Covarrubias said Chile had invested US$15 billion in telecom infrastructure in the last decade. The estimated investment for the next decade is the minimum Chile would need to spend just to be able to keep up with other high-ranking digital citi
  • February 6, 2015
    Colombia tenders group of three airports
    Colombia's national infrastructure agency ANI has published the definitive bidding rules for the concession tender of three airports in the south-western region. The project will require a total US$107 million in investments and includes works at El Edén airport in Armenia, Benito Salas in Neiva and Guillermo León Valencia in Popayán. Areas of focus will include expansion and improvement of the passenger terminals, repair and expansion of the landing strips, building cargo terminals, purchase of surro