Kraków Airport has confirmed to TRBusiness that LS Travel Retail-owned Aelia has retained its duty free contract at the airport and will expand the space it occupied previously with a new store covering 500sq m (unit is referred to as H7 – see below).

The airport also confirmed that Warsaw-based retailer, Keraniss, founded in 1993 by the Nissenbaum Family Foundation, won the second duty free tender (H8) at the airport to operate a 65sq m store.

LS Travel Retail also confirmed to TRBusiness that its new 500sq m duty free store will open partially on 1st July, 2015 and will be fully operational on 1 January, 2016.

As previously reported by TRBusiness.com, in December last year, Kraków Airport issued 17 commercial tender packages, covering retail, service and catering, at its new passenger terminal as part of an ambitious extension programme.

The remaining 15 tenders are yet to be processed. The airport – which is undergoing the biggest construction process in its history – told TRBusiness today that, “the 15 remaining tenders are still in progress. The next one will be completed in April. Further [tenders will be completed] successively till the end of the year.”

Kraków Airport’s tender schedule.

According to Kraków Airport, there were three bidders competing for both the H7 and H8 tenders. Out of the bids which met formal requirements, the tender organiser, Międzynarodowy Port Lotniczy (MPL) selected HDS Polska – Aelia’s local partner – and Keraniss who scored the most ‘points’ based on the following criteria: price (80%) and business concept with experience (20%).

Bids for tenders H7, H8 and H14 were submitted by 19 January 2015, 12am and for tenders H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6, H9, H10, H11, H12, H13, H15, S1 and S2 the deadline for submission passed in February.

Kraków Airport is looking for stores offering regional products, souvenirs, clothes and accessories, jewellery, watches, glasses, beauty products, food and press at its new passenger terminal.

Schematic location of individual commercial premises to be rented out in the new expanded passenger terminal
 – Level +1.

Kraków Airport is also looking for operators in financial services, those who can offer cashpoints, car rental services and a travel agency.

Kraków Airport is the largest regional airport in Poland. Last year, the airport handled over 3.8m passengers, setting a new record.

“Over the last 10 years, Kraków Airport passenger traffic has been increasing at the level of 18% per annum, giving perspective of reaching 7m passengers at 2030,” says Kraków Airport.

The Polish airport operator also told TRBusiness that by summer 2015 Kraków Airport will be offering 66 direct scheduled services operated by 17 airlines including: KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa, Alitalia, Airberlin, easyjet, Ryanair and Finnair.