MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Carrasco Airport in private hands

The management of Uruguay's main international airport, Carrasco, will be in private hands for the next thirty years following this Wednesday public tender in Montevideo's Stock Exchange.

CerealSur a consortium of Argentine, American and Italian companies paid 34 million US dollars for the Carrasco airport concession that according to the tender conditions must become in five years time one of Mercosur best airports.

The members of the consortium are Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 already manages 32 air terminals in Argentina, American International Airports and Sea Milan that is responsible for several airports in Italy.

The Carrasco concession extends for a first period of 20 years with a further 10 year option, and will demand infrastructure investments of over 150 million US dollars, plus an annual licence estimated in 2,5 million US dollars.

Boarding taxes must remain below 13 US dollars for the air shuttle Montevideo-Buenos Aires and in the range of 25/30 US dollars for international flights.

Carrasco airport has an annual turnover of over a million passengers, and currently operates as a supplier for the major hubs of Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo in Brazil.