Houston City Council has approved a retail concession agreement with ATÜ Duty Free for the operation of the duty free outlets at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.
The 10-year contract dictates the operating rights for a retail area covering approximately 7,500ft2. The contract was awarded on a joint-venture basis with 25% of the contract being awarded to local US partner Air Ventures. The bid was won following fierce competition from brands such as Duty Free Americas, Metalsmiths Sterling, Dufry, Travel Retail Group and Prestige Duty Free.
ATÜ Duty Free was formed as a joint venture between TAV Airports and Gebr Heinemann with Unifree Duty Free acting as the retailer. The company is currently the largest duty free operator in Turkey.
Sani Şener, president and CEO, TAV Airports, said, “This success is another indicator of our significant industrial growth. The terminals will soon be expanded at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport, which is the 11th largest airport in the US in terms of passenger numbers. I would like to congratulate all of our employees who contributed to this success.”
Ersan Ercan, general manager, ATÜ Duty free, said, “We are glad to provide our services in Houston which is an important city in the US in terms of economy and tourism. We are planning to expand our operations and use the advantage of being a solution partner at duty free operations at other airports in the US in the most effective way.”
