Aena to tender 10-billion-euro business in Spanish airports

Aena is taking significant steps towards the renewal of the driverless car rental sector in its terminals. The changes are expected to come into effect in November 2024.

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María José Cuenda, the Commercial and Real Estate General Director of Aena, shared these plans during the recent Perspective Forum at the Global Mobility Call 2023. One of the highlighted announcements is the planned tendering process set for the beginning of next year in 38 airports. This translates to an expanding offer, as there are more than 21,700 spots available, exceeding the previous tender’s numbers by 3,500 spots.

Another update is the increase in licenses, with a total of 218, 48 more than the current ones. Furthermore, Palma de Mallorca and Málaga-Costa del Sol could have new maintenance centers for these vehicles.

With ongoing contracts at 34 airports with 16 operators, Aena aims not only to renew but also to expand and modernize this sector. The current agreements are set to expire on October 31, 2024. The future contracts will have a duration ranging between 5 and 8 years.

Every year, around 4.6 million vehicles are rented at Aena’s airports, generating sales that approach 1.2 billion euros annually. This tendering process promises to be one of the largest in the sector on a global scale, with a projected business volume of 10 billion euros.

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In this renewed approach, Aena is moving away from fixed lots, granting companies greater flexibility in choosing spots. Business opportunities will also be added in corporate aviation terminals at key airports such as Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat.

«Aena wants to maximize the value of this business line and attract as many operators as possible with the goal of improving the quality offered to passengers. To achieve this, they are betting on the digitalization of the service and the implementation of the latest industry technologies,» representatives from the company concluded.