Montenegro to decide on airport concession in 2025

NEWS FLASH

The Montenegrin government is set to decide in the first half of 2025 whether to proceed with awarding a thirty-year concession for the operation of the country's two international airports, Podgorica and Tivat, according to the Minister for Transport, Maja Vukićević. Ms Vukićević stated that a commission working in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) is finalising the details of the public call and the potential concession contract. "This process will be completed by the end of this year, with a decision on the concession expected in the first half of 2025", the Minister said. The concession tender was initially launched in November 2017, and the IFC was brought on board in February 2018 to assist in selecting a concession model and organising the procedure. By July 2019, Montenegro's transport ministry invited investors to participate in the first, pre-qualification phase of the tender. This phase attracted seven letters of intent from global airport operators, including: a Turkish-Danish consortium (Cengiz & Copenhagen Airports), South Korea's Incheon International Airport Corporation, India's GMR Airports Limited, a Turkish-French consortium (Groupe ADP-TAV Airports), Luxembourg-based Corporation America Airports, Turkey's Limak Holding, and a consortium comprising of DDA International, Bouygues Batiment International, Marguerite, and TIIC from Ireland, France, and Luxembourg. Following a review, four bidders were shortlisted: Incheon International, GMR Airports, Groupe ADP-TAV Holding, and Corporation America Airports. However, GMR later withdrew, leaving the remaining three bidders prepared for the next stage. Despite this, the process has faced significant delays due to the coronavirus pandemic and a change in leadership in the country.