Vinci partners with Philippines group to vie for $2bn regional airports contract

French infrastructure group Vinci Airports has partnered with Philippines-based conglomerate Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) to bid for five regional airports in the Philippines.

Vinci and AEV have formed a joint venture, Maya Consortium, which has submitted pre-qualification documents to the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), for the contract, reported the Inquirer.

Vinci operates 24 airports in France, Portugal and Cambodia.

The Filipino Government is seeking to develop the Bacolod-Silay, Davao, Iloilo, Laguindingan, New Bohol (Panglao) and the Puerto Princesa airports under public-private partnership (PPP).

MR-Megawide, Metro-Pacific-JG Summit Consortium, San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Skylanders and Union Equities are also in the race for the P108.2bn ($2.33bn) project.

The winning bidders will handle the development and operations and maintenance of the airports for 30 years.

The two-phase project would cover the $438.6mBacolod-Silay and $658.1m Iloilo airports in the first phase, and the $878.3m Davao, $316.5m Laguindingan and $50.66m New Bohol (Panglao) airports in the second.

DOTC said that the project was important as the airports needed the improvements and development to enhance passenger safety and experience.

Today is the last day for submitting all the qualification documents to the DOTC, while the bids will be opened in January 2016 and contracts awarded in February.

The project is part of the 12 PPP projects that the government is initiating. The combined cost of the projects is around P400.8bn ($8.65bn).

Nine PPP projects worth P136.37bn ($2.94bn) have already been awarded since 2010.