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Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Avolta And Lagardère Build Out Their Latin American Retail Portfolios
Rival European travel retailers, Avolta and Lagardère Travel Retail (LTR) have made in-roads into the Latin American airport retail market, in Mexico and Peru respectively. Paris-based, LTR has revealed a large retail offer in the new terminal of Peru's main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport, which is operated by Lima Airport Partners. In total, the travel retailer has inaugurated more than 43,000 square feet of store space, plus a dining area covering 35,500 square feet branded Nación Sazón – The Land of Flavours which Lagardère describes as 'Latin America's newest and freshest hub for local cuisine.' Meanwhile, Switzerland-based Avolta, has won a new five-year contract at Guadalajara Airport in Mexico allowing it to expand its retail operations there to cover around 13,000 square feet which includes the opening of two new stores. LTR's new commercial spaces in Lima, follow two years of construction at the airport which, last year, was the fifth busiest airport in Latin America processing 24.5 million passengers, up by 15%. The strong rebound topped the 2019 record of 23.6 million, though this is mainly thanks to the high level of domestic air travel; international numbers are still about 6% off 2019. Lima Airport Partners—80.01% owned by Germany's Fraport and 19.99% by the International Finance Corporation (part of the World Bank Group)—wanted a strong focus on gastronomy to appeal to lucrative transfer passengers in particular, whose share of travelers remains below pre-Covid levels. Nación Sazón which houses the food and beverage (F&B) offer features 13 units, including nine leading Peruvian brands that exemplify the country's rich culinary heritage. Among them are exclusive concepts developed with two of South America's most celebrated chefs. They are the blended Japanese and Peruvian SAKAI by Mitsuharu Tsumura, chef at Maido ranked fifth among The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2024, and the seafood-inspired CALLAO by Jaime Pesaque, chef at Mayta, ranked 41st. Other chef-led concepts include creole cuisine from José del Castillo at Las Reyes by Isolina, gourmet burgers by Javier Miyasato at Burger Boy, and barbecue chicken from Mitsuharu Tsumura at TORI. Cyril Letocart, CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail Peru said: 'Nación Sazón is a true gastronomic hub that brings Peru's unique cuisine to the world. We have put our heart and soul into this project and are very proud of the results.' Referring to the project as a whole he added: 'We have built what we believe is Latin America's new benchmark for travel retail and airport dining.' The departure retail space features El Mixólogo, a cocktail and tapas bar where passengers can also purchase local labels to take home. Lagardère has also added a VIP room in the main duty-free shop to serve high spenders. The store design pays tribute to Peru's landscapes from the coasts and highlands to the Amazonian forests and Andes mountains. Lagardère Travel Retail is making a big investment in Lima. It launched there in 2021 with 80 employees, but this latest expansion will grow that number to over 750 by this summer. In terms of international passengers, the retailer could well be serving a large number of Spaniards and Americans. Among the strongest recoveries last year (versus 2019) were from Madrid (up 133%) and Miami (up 137%). The two destinations accounted for 19% of international traffic. Further north in Mexico, Avolta's new five-year contract at Guadalajara Airport—at the heart of the country's main tequila producing region—will enable the retailer to fully renovate its three existing stores and open two new ones. Mexico is a big market for the airport retailer; with more than 80 stores across Mexico City, Cancun, Monterrey as well as Guadalajara. Guadalajara is the third busiest airport in the country and is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP). It processed almost 18 million passengers last year. The gateway continued to grow, unlike its larger counterparts, Mexico City and Cancun, where traffic fell by about 6%. Susana Romero, commercial director at GAP, described Avolta as one of the most important stakeholders in Guadalajara Airport, and added: 'As part of our effort to maximize revenue from commercial activities and meet passenger expectations, GAP expanded and redesigned the airport terminal to accommodate more general specialty retail, duty-free shopping and F&B. The passenger flow was also redirected to increasing exposure to the new commercial areas.'
Travel Daily News
02-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Fraport subsidiary opens Terminal in Lima
Lima Airport opens new terminal, tripling capacity, enhancing technology, and boosting connectivity, positioning Jorge Chávez Airport as a major South American hub. Fraport subsidiary Lima Airport Partners (LAP) celebrate the official opening of the new terminal at Lima's Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) in the Peruvian capital. On the night of May 31 to June 1, airlines, government agencies, and partners will relocate from Lima's old terminal to the new one. The opening was preceded by a two-week soft launch period involving four airlines to ensure an efficient start of operations and operational stability. The new terminal is three times bigger than the previous one. By the end of 2025, it will be expanded further to cover 270,000 square meters, providing enough capacity to receive up to 40 million passengers annually. Thanks to its modular design, the terminal's capacity can be increased to accommodate future growth. The approximately USD 2 billion expansion program that began in 2019 involved building both the terminal itself and related infrastructure. Key elements of the project included a second runway, a new air traffic control tower, aircraft parking positions, energy supply facilities, transportation connections, and parking facilities for passengers and visitors. Fraport CEO Dr Stefan Schulte says: 'The opening of the terminal is a milestone – not just for Fraport, but also for Peru and South America. Our goal is to make Lima one of the continent's most important hubs, providing a boost to tourism, air cargo traffic and connectivity for all Peruvians. The opening of this flagship project clearly symbolizes our commitment to Peru. We've worked together with our Lima Airport subsidiary and our partners to build the new terminal and the first Airport City in South America, connecting air travel with cargo, logistics, retail, and hotels.' The new terminal will feature future-proofed technologies, including highly efficient CT scanners for aviation security, while at the same time reflecting Peru's history and culture. Works created in partnership with local Peruvian artists are located throughout the terminal, representing the country's three regions – the coast, the rainforest, and the mountains. In addition, restaurants across more than 8,000 square meters of floorspace will inspire travelers to savor Peru's outstanding, world-famous cuisine. This combination means the new Jorge Chávez International Airport is set to offer a unique passenger experience. Lima Airport Partners CEO José Salmon says: 'The new terminal is the heartbeat of Peru. This airport will create approximately 120,000 jobs, benefiting our neighboring communities. Furthermore, the airport will contribute to our country's economic growth, creating jobs for future generations, boosting business, and promoting the recovery of tourism.' LIM will also be the first airport in South America to use a digital apron management system. The system allows airport controllers to monitor and control taxiing traffic from the terminal with the aid of cameras. The implementation of this technology represents a significant milestone in Lima Airport's journey toward operational excellence. Fraport AG has been operating in Lima since 2001. The Fraport Group holds an 80.01 percent stake in LAP, the airport's operating company (the remaining 19.99 percent is held by International Finance Corporation). LAP has a concession to manage the airport in Lima until 2041, with an option for an extension.
National Post
13-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Flying out of Lima's new airport? Leave an extra 45 minutes earlier
Peru seems poised to finally inaugurate a new $2 billion airport to serve its capital city on June 1, after blowing past three previous opening dates. Article content Article content But baffling transportation mishaps are pushing the airport's chief executive officer to issue a dire warning. Travellers: budget an additional 45 minutes to commute to the new terminal, even though it's located right next to the old infrastructure. That's on top of the usual hour it takes to get to the Jorge Chavez International Airport from Lima's main business district during rush hour. Article content 'Our recommendation is that passengers leave 45 minutes earlier than they usually did to get here,' Juan Jose Salmon, CEO of Lima Airport Partners (LAP), said in an interview. Passengers 'are going to face a new route and Lima's traffic in general is complex.' Article content Article content It was never the plan for Latin America's sixth busiest airport to become a symbol of poor urban planning. The result is the fallout of Peru's turbulent politics, having cycled through almost one transport minister per year so far this century. Still, the airport is expected to serve growing demand in Peru, one of the region's fastest growing economies. Article content While LAP – whose majority owner is Fraport AG – has built the terminal, Peru's government had ambitious transportation plans to get passengers in and out of the new airport. The transport ministry planned a new subway, a highway and an eight-lane bridge over the Rimac River to get to it. Article content Except it couldn't finish building any of them in time. Article content The bridge is scheduled to be inaugurated in late 2028, while the rest of the highway will open a few months later. Until then, passengers will pass through prefabricated bridges that have less capacity than the original design, while forcing them to make hairpin turns through traffic-choked roads to get to them. Article content Article content The subway isn't finished either, but its woes are of a larger scale. It is being built to arrive to the old airport. By the time the subway is inaugurated, the old structure will no longer be there. The government first suggested building an extra subway station to get to the new airport, but has since said it will build an above-ground train instead, although plans are still in the preliminary stages. Article content 'The recommendation that LAP is making is important, and it's not necessarily about traffic,' Peru's Transport Minister Raul Perez-Reyes said in a press conference this week. 'About 85,000 people go into the airport every day and I can assure you that many of them don't know where the access route to the new airport is located.' Article content He added that he hopes that travel times to the airport will come down to normal once the terminal has been in operation for several weeks. Article content Salmon said LAP is not planning to file any lawsuits or arbitrations against Peru over the issues with the transportation to the new terminal. What remains unclear, however, is whether the government will impose fines on LAP, which as the concession holder will be inaugurating the airport around four months late. Article content
