The Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) is tendering a contract to find an international operator to manage Abu Dhabi International Airport for the next 18 months, according to comments attributed to ADAC's Chairman and Managing

Director, Khalifa Mohammed Al Mazrouei.
ADAC is reported to be considering proposals from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), Munich Airport, Vienna Airport and BAA.The creation of ADAC earlier this year effectively semi privatised the management of the airport, even though ADAC is a state-owned company and several international duty free and travel retail operators have been speculating over whether there will be opportunities to tender for the duty free business at Abu Dhabi.
But Abu Dhabi Duty Free (ADDF) Managing Director Mohamed Mounib says that ADAC has already given its approval to ADDF as the ongoing operator. In an interview with The Business earlier this month we asked him if the appointment of ADAC might mean there could be an opportunity for another operator at Abu Dhabi.
He said: ‘There was always an opportunity for another operator because we were the operator and for the last 22 years I think a lot of companies came and knocked at the door. Maybe they?ll come for the next 22 years? I don?t know.
‘Well we are not na?ve. This is an open market and that includes all sectors of services at the airport and not only duty free and inflight. But we are responsible for a huge portfolio here and people sometimes lose sight of that.
‘We are doing all of the commercial activity of this airport and I?ve got 2,000 people working here and if anything we have created a good product and we have delivered and there were no discussions with us. In fact what we have got from the new owners is that we are the perfect partner and they?d like to work with us.’