VINCI Airports and Keolis: renewal of contract to operate Grenoble–Isère international airport

2 December 2008 - New contracts - France

- First renewal of a public service operation contract for an airport in France
- Traffic tripled in five years
- Contract for 14.5 years
- €6 million investment for airport improvements

Isère’s General Council has decided to award the new contract to operate the Grenoble–Isère international airport to the 50/50 consortium of VINCI Airports, leader, and Keolis. This is the first renewal of a public service operation contract for an airport in France since the decentralisation laws.
The new public service operation contract, covering a period of 14.5 years, was signed on 28 November 2008 and will come into force on 1 January 2009. The VINCI Airport/Keolis consortium’s mission is to use the airport to promote the Isère département’s economy and tourism. It calls for growth of traffic and associated activities, operation, upkeep and maintenance of the airport (terminal, infrastructure, superstructure and equipment, as well as commercial outlets).
It also includes two new requirements. Firstly, a €6 million capital investments programme is to be carried out by VINCI Airports and Keolis during the period of the contract. The investments will complete the upgrade of the airport infrastructure to bring it into compliance and strengthen the airport’s quality and reliability. Secondly, the new contract includes introducing a shuttle service between the airport and Grenoble city centre, entirely financed and operated by VINCI Airports and Keolis, in line with their innovative action plan on sustainable development. During the winter season, the service is to be extended to the Massif de l’Oisans, in particular to the Alpe d’Huez and Deux Alpes ski stations.

This contract renewal confirms the success of the first public-private partnership in France, which started in 2004, to operate an airport of this size. The consortium has tripled traffic at Grenoble–Isère airport in its five years of operation for the Isère General Council.

VINCI Airports is a VINCI Concessions subsidiary, Europe’s leading operator of transport infrastructure concessions. VINCI Concessions generated revenue of €4,580 million through 600 million customers in 2007. It operates three airports in France in partnership with Keolis Airport – Grenoble–Isère, Chambéry–Savoie and Clermont Ferrand–Auvergne – and three airports in Cambodia, with total traffic of over 4.5 million passengers.

Keolis is the leading private operator of public transport in France and world leader in the operation of automated metro systems. With 38,000 employees, the company carries over 1.8 billion passengers a year. It generated revenue of €2.7 billion in 2007. Keolis operates three airports in partnership with VINCI Airports – Grenoble–Isère, Chambéry–Savoie and Clermont Ferrand–Auvergne – and three other airports by itself.

 

About VINCI
VINCI is a global player in concessions, energy and construction, employing 280,000 people in more than 120 countries. We design, finance, build and operate infrastructure and facilities that help improve daily life and mobility for all. Because we believe in all-round performance, we are committed to operating in an environmentally, socially responsible and ethical manner. And because our projects are in the public interest, we consider that reaching out to all our stakeholders and engaging in dialogue with them is essential in the conduct of our business activities. Based on that approach, VINCI’s ambition is to create long-term value for its customers, shareholders, employees, partners and society in general.