A-Port Chile S.A – the 100% owned subsidiary of Flughafen Zürich AG (Zürich Airport) – has been awarded a new concession to operate and expand Diego Aracena International Airport in Northern Chile.

The concession award, which follows Zürich Airport’s 30-year concession win at Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport, allows the Swiss operator to continue operating and expanding Diego Aracena upon the expiration of its current concession in March 2018.

Located 40km south of harbour city lquique and handling 1.2m annual PAX, Diego Aracena is the fifth busiest airport in Chile and serves as the main point of entry to the Atacama Desert.

TRACK RECORD IN CHILE

Zürich Airport already boasts a strong track record in Chile, where it owns – through A-Port Chile S.A – the concession for Cerro Moreno’s Andrés Sabella Gálvez International Airport.

With a capacity of two million annual passengers, the airport serves the city of Antofagasta.

Zürich Airport’s retail, tax and duty free revenues rose by 1.1% to CHF96.5m ($95.5m) in 2016 as its total commercial revenue grew by 1.8% to CHF220.7m ($218.2m).

However, departing spend per PAX dropped -3.6% to CHF8.2 ($8.12) despite a rise in total passenger traffic to 27.7m year-on-year (+5.3%).

The airport has earmarked CHF130m ($128.5m) in investment this year for its new ‘The Circle’ lifestyle complex, which expects to open in 2018.