AENA to remodel commercial area at busy Palma airport

PALMA
AENA (the Spanish Airports Authority) is going to refurbish the commercial area in the terminal building at Palma' Son Sant Joan airport.
The aim of this is to improve the service by relocating shops on the fourth floor (departures), so that they will have a better volume of sales and therefore be more profitable. In July 2006, AENA decided to move the siting of the security check area, which meant the closure of some of the services, which were relocated to another part of the floor.

In spite of this, AENA confirmed that the volume of sales after this change of location “was positive for the shops, which have had a greater increase in sales and customers” said AENA sources.

However, the original design of this area was so that the security check area was located at the end of the Aldeasa shop.
AENA now wants to make a drastic change, and for this reason will promote a competition for the project for the integral remodelling of the entire floor, with the aim of making the shops and services more accessible and convenient for passengers.

It is expected that the competition for the project will be started once the summer has ended, in October, so as not to disrupt the normal activity of the airport. “We want the shops to be better located, nearer to the passengers and in transit areas. All this will be to the advantage of all parties”, added the same sources.

During the past year there have been works in the commercial area of the airport, aiming to improve income for the shops and satisfy the demand and the needs of the passengers and users of the airport.

In Modules A, C and D last year, new shops and restaurants were put in place, which substantially improved matters. However, this has caused the shops and restaurants on offer in each of the airport modules to be of very different quality compared with 2005.

Palma airport is one of the four most profitable for AENA, and if you add to this the expected increase in passengers during the next few years (some five percent per year) it is no wonder that AENA's commercial strategy is to make the most of this increase in activity in Palma airport.

In AENA's opinion, “the change in the location of the security check area has been positive in all aspects, but with the refurbishment of the commercial area which will be carried out on the whole of the fourth floor, we are sure that the end result will be positive in all aspects. Business turnover and income is improving with every bit of work done and we think we are on the right road”.

The concession holders have always complained about the high rent which they have to pay to AENA, and have always demanded a better position to improve their income.