Airport upgradation: REL, L&T, Tatas among shortlisted bidders

Anil Ambani Group company Reliance Energy, top conglomerate Tatas and engineering giant L&T are among the shorlisted bidders for upgradation of Amritsar and Udaipur airports.

Financial bids for the project will be invited by month-end.

Airport Authority of India (AAI) had shortlisted five bidders each for the two airports.

AAI will invite the request for proposals by month end and the outcome of this will be known possibly by middle of June.

The list of shortlisted bidders for Amritsar airport are -- Reliance Energy, Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services, Tata-Changi consortium, Lanco Infratech-Genting (Singapore) consortium and L&T IDPL-Unique consortium, as per information available on AAI website.

While, the list of shortlisted bidders for the Udaipur airport include -- Reliance Energy, Tata-Changi consortium, L&T IDPL-Unique consortium, Maytas Infra-NCCIHL-VIE Indieu-Beteiligungen Gmbh consortium and GMR Infrastructure.

As many as 24 infrastructure firms had bid for the development and modernisation of the Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion) Udaipur airport.

Recently, the government had kicked off modernisation of non-metro airports with the identification of 24 out of 35 airports to be undertaken through public-private partnerships.

The move has been aimed at maximising commercial revenues (non-aeronautical) of these airports with the private players managing facilities such a parking, restaurants and shops.

The city-side of the Amritsar and Udaipur non-metro airports would be modernised and upgraded by 2010, through public-private partnership.

The consortium of selected bidder and Airports Authority of India would commercially operate the airports and maintain their terminal buildings.