Davies unveils entities shortlisted for airport divestment
Published:Tuesday | April 28, 2015 | 12:00 AMDaraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
Two Jamaican firms are among the entities that have been shortlisted to take over the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA).
Transport, Works and Housing Minister Dr Omar Davies, today announced in parliament that GraceKennedy and Jamaica Producers are aligned to companies that have been shortlisted for the privatisation.
GraceKennedy's GK Capital Management Limited is to act as the financial member of a Korean backed consortium.
The entity is called the Korea Airport Corporation Latin America and GK Capital Management Limited.
Davies said Korea Airport Corporation Latin America is registered in Colombia and controlled by the Korea Airport
Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea.
The entity manages and operates 14 airports in Korea.
The other shortlisted entity with Jamaican interest is Corporation Aeroportuaria del Esta S.A.S (Punta Cana International Airport), Jamaica Producers Group and GBG Energy S.de R.L.
The Punta Cana Airport is the largest International Airport in the Caribbean with 5.9 million arrivals in 2014.
Meanwhile, Davies revealed that China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is among the five entities shortlisted for the airport.
The others are Cedicor S.A, an Argentinean company which manages more than 40 airports over South America and Zurich Airport International A.G. and A-Port Chile S.A which is based in Chile.
Davies said the entity is the operating arm of Flughafen Zurich AG in Latin America and the Caribbean.
It has its home base in Zurich and is engaged in the management of 10 airports in 14 countries in Latin America and Asia.
According to Davies, the fact that there are five international bidders who have been shortlisted for the privatisation of the NMIA is "a testament to the positive investment climate perceived by international investors".