Aena to Increase Number of Car Hire Spaces and Licences at Airports
Aena, the Spanish airport operator, has announced plans to increase the number of car hire spaces and licences at airports in its network. These changes are part of a tendering process that will take effect in November 2024.
The Director General for Commercial and Real Estate at Aena, María José Cuenda, revealed the key details of the tendering process at the Perspective Forum during the 2023 Global Mobility Call.
The upcoming call for tenders, scheduled for early next year, aims to procure car hire/rental services at 38 airports. This will result in an increase of available spaces to over 21,700, a significant rise of 3,500 spaces compared to the previous tender. Additionally, the number of licences will be increased to 218, an increase of 48 licences.
Aena is also considering the possibility of establishing two new maintenance centres at Palma de Mallorca and Málaga-Costa del Sol airports.
Currently, Aena has contracts with 16 operators at 34 airports within its network, which are set to expire on October 31, 2024. The new contracts will have a duration of between 5 and 8 years.
This procurement process for car hire/rental services is one of the largest in the world, with an estimated turnover of 10 billion euros throughout the duration of the new contracts.
At Aena network airports in Spain, approximately 4.6 million self-drive vehicles are hired each year. This is the third largest line of business for Aena in terms of commercial revenue, generating around 1.2 billion euros in sales annually for the operators. The new tender offers a more flexible model, eliminating closed lots of spaces and allowing companies to select the number of spaces they require. Rents will be adapted to different operator profiles.
The tender also includes contracts for the development of self-drive vehicle hire/rental activity at corporate aviation terminals in major airports such as Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, and Málaga-Costa del Sol.
Aena aims to enhance the quality of these services and attract more operators by prioritizing digitalization and implementing the latest technologies in the sector.
In conclusion, Aena’s plan to increase car hire spaces and licences at its airports demonstrates a commitment to improving services for passengers and maximizing the value of this line of business. These changes will contribute to the growth and efficiency of self-drive vehicle hire/rental services within Aena’s network.