VINCI Concessions signs the concession contract for the new Nantes region airport

30 December 2010 - New contracts - France

- A 55-year concession contract for the new Nantes region airport, construction of which represents a total investment of an estimated €450 million, followed by operation of the facility after its commissioning, which is scheduled for 2017.
- Transfer of operation of the existing Nantes Atlantique and Saint-Nazaire Montoir airports as of 1 January 2011.

The Grand Ouest Airport Concession Company, represented by its chairman Nicolas Notebaert, chairman of VINCI Airports, and the State, represented by Thierry Mariani, Secretary of State for Transport for the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing, signed the 55-year concession contract to finance, design, build, operate and maintain the new Nantes region airport, together with operation of the existing Nantes Atlantique and Saint-Nazaire Montoir airports.

The contract signed by the Grand Ouest Airport Concession Company, a VINCI Concessions subsidiary (85%), in partnership with the Nantes Chamber of Commerce and Industry (10%) and the Entreprise de Travaux Publics de l'Ouest (ETPO – CIFE) (5%), will take effect on 1 January 2011.

Traffic at the Nantes Atlantique airport exceeded the threshold of three million passengers a year for the first time in 2010. The Saint-Nazaire platform specialises in hosting aero-industrial activities. All employees of the Nantes Atlantique and Saint-Nazaire airports will be working in the framework of the new concession.

Construction of the new Nantes airport, worth an estimated €450 million, will be carried out by a consortium consisting of VINCI Construction France, Eurovia and ETPO. It will work closely with the architect Jacques Ferrier, landscaper Bernard Lassus, ADPi for airport engineering and with the following consultancies: Sogreah (infrastructure), SCE (spatial planning), SETEC (construction) and Elithis (energy). The preliminary studies and administrative procedures phase will start in 2011, while construction works on the new airport will begin in 2014.

For operation of the airport, the consortium will rely on the experience of VINCI Airports, a VINCI Concessions subsidiary, and the Nantes Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with the aim of promoting the economic growth of the Nantes region and the Great West region of France.

The simple and effective design of the new airport reflects the consortium's desire to build an innovative airport adapted to the economy of the air transport of the future and to new passenger expectations for service quality. The new airport, as designed by VINCI and its partners, aims to achieve environmental excellence: the airport will have a positive energy balance and the project incorporates a farmland and environmental plan meeting the commitments made by the State and complying with the findings of the public interest inquiry.

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.