Fraport Scores Double Win in Brazilian Airports Privatization
Following the takeover of the concessions, Fraport AG expects an additional accumulated EBITDA at the Group level resulting from the two airports of around 350 million euros during the first five years and an accumulated negative contribution to the Group result ranging from the mid to high double-digit million euros. Due to the takeover of the concessions and the mandatory capital expenditure, Fraport AG expects an increase in Group net debt by up to around 700 million euros in the first five years.
Elated by the auction results, Fraport AG executive board chairman Dr. Stefan Schulte said:
We are excited to start working at Fortaleza and Porto Alegre airports soon. Using our extensive expertise, we are committed to further developing both airports markedly for the benefit of the Brazil. For our airline and passenger customers, we will quickly implement improved processes and services as well as attractive Food & Beverage offerings.
Fortaleza’s Pinto Martins International Airport (FOR) is strategically located in the federal state of Ceará in the northeastern-most part of Brazil, which juts deep into the Atlantic Ocean. With over four million inhabitants, the Fortaleza metropolitan region ranks sixth in the country. FOR received 5.7 million passengers in 2016, making it the country’s twelve busiest airport. From 2005 to 2016, Fortaleza Airport registered 6.8 percent compound annual growth (CARG). The 5.3 square-kilometer airport site comprises one runway and one passenger terminal.
Porto Alegre’s Salgado Filho International Airport (POA) serves as the gateway to Brazil’s southern-most federal state of Rio Grande do Sul, which has a population of over 10 million people. POA welcomed 7.6 million passengers in 2016, making it Brazil’s 9th largest airport by passenger traffic. From 2005 to 2016, the airport’s compound annual growth averaged 7.3 percent. Comprising a total of 3.8 square kilometers, the airport has one runway and two passenger terminals: Via the Aeromóvel people-mover, air travelers can shuttle to the nearby Alegre Metro Airport Station for trains to downtown Porto Alegre and other cities of the 4.3 million urban region – Brazil’s fifth most populated and its richest metropolis.