Hochtief has sign a agreement JV with Bahrain Airport Company
Manama: German construction group Hochtief AG has signed an agreement with Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) to set up a joint venture, which will provide facility management at Bahrain International Airport.
The new entity, Hochtief Facility Management Bahrain Airport, will be set up at a cost of euros 85 million ($115 million).
Hochtief AG said the contract marks a further internationalisation of its service business.
The agreement will run for six years, with an option to be extended for another five, the company said in a statement.
Hochtief Facility Management Bahrain Airport will initially employ around 170 people involved in the operation of all technical systems and the airport infrastructure.
At present Bahrain International Airport has a gross floor space of just under 70,000 sq m which houses various buildings such as the terminal, aircraft hangars, cargo halls, administrative buildings and a fire station. The Kingdom is set to spend $4.73 billion for upgrading the airport facilities.
The airport currently handles around eight million passengers per year, but with a new terminal due for completion by 2015, the passenger number will rocket to 15 million, the company said.
The new entity will provide technical and infrastructural services for all of these properties and the airport grounds in the coming years.
'For example, the service provider will be taking responsibility for building management systems, passenger bridges and cleaning and will also deal with the sensitive infrastructure of the apron area and the runways,' said a top official.
Hochtief Facility Management is contributing its lengthy experience in the area of airport management, including Athens Airport, the company added.