State-owned Airports of India has called a duty free request for proposal for a company to ‘design, build, finance, operate and maintain’ a three-year contract, covering a 600sq m shop at Kolkata Airport’s Terminal 2 new integrated terminal building.

The new terminal is already open, although the duty free shop and other retail facilities are only just being tendered now – a situation not entirely uncommon in India. International carriers already using Kolkata include Emirates Airline, Thai Airways, Air India, Biman Bangladesh, Indigo, AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways.

AAI says there will be a pre-bid meeting of potential bidders on Monday April 13 (next week) and it will answer all questions that may be raised by April 20. It then expects all bids to be submitted online by Friday April 24 by 1500 local time. Once the deadline is closed, all bids will then be opened at 15.30 on the same afternoon.

The AAI says that any bidder must have at least three years experience during the preceding five within the duty free business at a passenger terminal in an airport, sea port or land border.

Top right image and the terminal building shot above: Kolkata Airport’s new Terminal 2 facility. [Photo credit both images: Amartyabag].

A percentage share of net sales – not below 13% – will also be payable to the AAI, in addition to the minimum annual guarantee of ‘no less than $3.6m’, as fixed by the AAI.

According to the RFP preliminary document, goods that will be permitted to be sold when the shop opens include: liquor/alcoholic beverages; tobacco products; cosmetics, fragrances & personal care products; chocolates, candy, snacks; watches and jewellery; electronic products (hardware and software); plus any items manufactured or produced in India, as may be permitted by rules and regulations notified by Authority/Central Board of Excise and Customs.

Kolkata Airport in West Bengal is rated the fifth busiest airport in India, handling more than 10m passengers a year. It is known locally as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and named after a prominent leader in the Indian independence movement.

Any companies interested in imminently tendering for this business should swiftly contact the following: Mr Dharmendra Kumar, Asst. G.M.(IT), AAI. Telephone number : 011-24626632 (Direct), EPBAX no. 011-24632950, 3509 Mobile no: 09891164759. E-mail: [email protected] or  [email protected]