Flughafen Zürich AG (Zurich Airport) has been chosen as the recipient of a 30-year concession to operate and expand Brazil’s Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport.

As reported, Fraport AG secured airport operation contracts at Fortaleza Pinto Martins International and Porto Alegre Salgado Filho International, while VINCI Airport’s won the bid to operate at Salvador’s Deputado Luis Eduardo Magalhaes International.

This tied up a tender process for four international airport concessions launched by Brazil’s civil aviation authority ANAC (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil) last year.

Under the terms of Zurich’s concession agreement, which expects to begin in July, the operator will own 100% of Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport as it looks to expand and improve its infrastructure and services.

MARKET CONFIDENCE 

“We believe in the Brazilian market – that is why we bid for one of the four airports,” a Zurich Airport  spokesperson told TRBusiness. “After strong inflation and recession, we believe the situation in the country will stabilise and get better.”

Zurich Airport first entered Brazil four years ago, when it acquired a 25% stake during Belo Horizonte Airport’s privatisation.

Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport handled 3.6mn passengers and accrued CHF26mn ($26.1mn) in revenue last year.

Zurich Airport says the Santa Catarina-located hub, which serves as a holiday destination for both domestic and international travellers within Brazil, has been the most resilient throughout the country’s economic downturn of the four airports privatised.

The airport achieved an average 9.7% passenger growth per year in the six years before the recession.