Aena, the state-owned operator, is in the final stages of contracting for the largest future investment to date at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport. This includes the construction of a second taxiway to increase aircraft manoeuvrability on the ground during pre-takeoff and post-landing runs. The tender for its construction was issued more than a year ago, with a starting budget of €17,475,864 (without taxes).
However, the call for proposals is about to be finalised, after the number of bidders interested in taking on the task was reduced to just four: nearly a fourth of the 19 acknowledged as genuine at the bid submission deadline last July. The project attracted some of the biggest public works corporations specialising in infrastructure construction, with only eight remaining in the bidding process after the initial appraisal steps were finished in September. These included Pavasal, Abaldo, Conelsan, FTC Obras y Energía, Matías Arrom Bibiloni, Obrascón Huarte Laín, Padecasa, and Adiante Infraestructuras.
However, the several successive rounds of bidding—a tender with negotiation—have eventually reduced the field to only four: Pavasal, Abaldo, Conelsan, and Obrascón Huarte. These are the companies with the lowest prices, ranging between 13.8 and 16 million euros (without taxes). This is why they have advanced to the final phase of the call for bids, having satisfied the same deadline as the tender rules: 27 months.
Other Investments
In any case, whichever proposal is finally selected, the projected investment will be the largest of any project undertaken at the El Altet airfield since the opening of its current terminal. This is although, in the last year, other significant improvements have been agreed upon, such as the doubling of ten boarding gates to facilitate passenger access and exit through the front and rear doors, which was awarded to Vilor for 3.4 million euros; the replacement of the air conditioning system serving aircraft interiors on the ground, which was awarded to Comsa for 4.8 million euros; and the photovoltaic installation on the roof of the vehicle park.
Furthermore, an additional €690,192.17 will be added to adapt the Airport Management Centre (AMC) offices as a new service to coordinate measures to resolve any type of problem filed at the airport in real time, for a total expenditure of more than €11.3 million. In any case, the contract for draughting the project to extend the passenger terminal by building a new boarding dock on the space currently held by the old terminal (T-1), which is no longer in use and will be demolished, has yet to be clarified. The project contract alone has been put out to tender for €19.8 million, plus the investment required to complete the works. At the present, no cost has been published because it will be determined during the project’s draughting, which has a 60-month timeline (with specific activities delivered in distinct phases). According to preliminary estimates, this expenditure is critical to the airport’s ability to increase processing capacity and serve at least 26 million people per year.
According to Aena, this development will allow the airport to handle more traffic, albeit there is no confirmation of the necessity for a second runway. Aena insists that it will address the need for a second runway only when justified by airline demand. For now, the airport operator’s intention is to optimise the operation of the current facilities through projects such as the addition of a second taxiway and the doubling of boarding gates, which will reduce operational times and create new slots to offer to airlines in the event that they are interested in organising additional flights.
Author: Derek Appleton
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