GMR, GVK in race for Philippines airport O&M contract

According to an official release from Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) of Philippines, a Pre-Bid Conference was held on May 21, at the Mind Museum Auditorium in Taguig city, which was attended by prospective bidders.

A total of 30 firms attended the Pre-Bid Conference, BCDA said.

Clark International Airport, formerly known as the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, is about 100 km from the capital Manila.

A GMR group company along with its partner, Manila-based Megawide was in December last year awarded the USD 250 million Clark International Airport EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) contract in the southeast Asian nation.

The EPC project scope involves design, construction, testing and commissioning of a new terminal with a capacity of eight million passengers per annum.

"State-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), in partnership with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), began the selection process for the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of Clark International Airport (CIA) in Pampanga.

"Among those that procured bid documents for the airport's O&M include Megawide-GMR Consortium, Metro Pacific Investment Corporation (MPIC), Filinvest Development Corporation, GVK Airport Developers Ltd., and Groupe ADP," the BCDA release said.

BCDA President and CEO Vivencio Dizon said, the Philippines government intends to partner with a world-class international airport operator for the O&M, which is expected to be awarded by August 30.

Bid submission is scheduled on July 20 to be followed by a post-qualification on August 7. The target for awarding of O&M Contract is on August 30, 2018, it said.

The Clark International Airport, which is envisioned to be the next major gateway in the country, is the first hybrid infrastructure project under the Duterte administration.

CIA serves various destinations locally and internationally with 332 domestic flights weekly and 158 international flights weekly. The number of flights dramatically increased in 2018, with a 122 percent increase or 7,600 flights in 2018 as compared from 3,400 in 2017.

GMR operates Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad in India and Mactan Cebu International Airport in Phillippines.

It is developing a Greenfield Airport at Mopa in North Goa.

The GVK Group, which operates Mumbai International airport had earlier said it signed a Management Services Agreement with PT Angkasa Pura I (Persero) for Commercial and Operations Development of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali in Indonesia.