Updated on Wednesday, Nov. 6, with city’s release describing the 18 bidders.
ST. LOUIS — All the contestants in the controversial high-stakes derby to lease St. Louis Lambert International Airport are now out in the open, as the city announced Friday that 18 companies and teams of firms have turned in applications.
A city committee, the Airport Advisory Working Group, will now review the submissions and decide which to seek bids from.
One prospective bidder on the list had previously disclosed its interest publicly — STL Aviation Group, a consortium led by California-based Oaktree Capital Management that hired several politically connected lobbyists. The group includes a company that runs airports in France and elsewhere.
The list does include various other firms that hadn’t figured in political speculation over Lambert privatization over the past year.
Among them is Lambert Gateway Partners, a consortium including the Public School and Education Employee Retirement Systems of Missouri and Blackstone Infrastructure Group, among others.
Another teacher group also declared its interest — the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, which is working with Ontario Airports Investments Limited and Copenhagen Airports International.
Among other applicants are Netherlands-based Royal Schiphol Group, which runs airports in Amsterdam, other Dutch cities and elsewhere, and Luxembourg-based CAAP, which also is involved with various airports.
The 18 entities responded to a “request for qualifications” issued a month ago by the airport working group. The deadline for submissions was 5 p.m. Friday.
Other applicants are AENA Internacional, AMP Capital, Atlantia, daa International, Global Infrastructure Partners, GRID Realty, Manchester Airports Group, Momentum Aviation Partners, Morrison & Co., Odinsa, OMERS Infrastructure and Fraport, Public Sector Pension Investment Board/AviAlliance and Vantage Airport Group/Corsair-Vantage Investment Partners.
Paul Payne, the working group’s chairman, said the panel’s next step will focus on whether potential bidders have the operational and financial capacity to run Lambert.
Payne, who also is the city budget director, has said objectives are improving Lambert, generating revenue to spur “transformational changes and benefit” for St. Louis and aiding economic development in the region.
The privatization study was begun by Slay near the end of his tenure in 2017 and continued by Mayor Lyda Krewson.
Comptroller Darlene Green and other critics have complained that the process has been set up to favor special interests.
Criticism has focused on the involvement of Grow Missouri, a nonprofit funded by political megadonor Rex Sinquefield, which is one of several consulting firms advising the working group.
Sinquefield funded the city’s application to the federal government to be allowed to consider privatization and is paying the consultants, with reimbursement only if a deal is reached.
The working group expects to decide by early next month which companies to seek bids from. Payne called the 18 submissions “a healthy response” and said more details about the respondents may be released next week.
If a lease deal is eventually worked out, the entire process could be completed by the end of next year. Any deal requires approval by the Board of Aldermen; the city Board of Estimate and Apportionment; Lambert’s airlines; and the federal government.
Green and some aldermen also are pushing for a citywide public vote, but such measures have been stuck in an aldermanic committee. Meanwhile, privatization critics have been gathering signatures to try to put the issue on the ballot via an initiative petition drive.
The city of St. Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 6, released detailed descriptions of the 18 potential bidders. In a statement, Airport Working Group Chair and City Budget Director Paul Payne, said: “We are releasing this detailed information about the respondents as soon as possible so that the public can remain informed on this key stage of the process. Our plan is to thoroughly review all responses and narrow down to the most highly qualified within the next few weeks.”
Detailed Information on Respondents:
Aena Internacional
• AENA (Spain) is the largest operator in the world by passenger count with operations principally in Spain, the U.K and Latin America
• Operates 69 airports, 46 of which are in Spain
• 353 million passengers annually, largest airport operator in the world (by number of passengers)
• Ownership: 53 majority stake and 16 minority stake airports
AMP Capital
• AMP (Australia) has invested more than $3.7 billion in the aviation sector
• Operates six airports worldwide: three in the U.K. (New Castle, London Luton and Leeds Bradford) and three in Australia (Melbourne, Port Hedland and Launceston)
• Over 65 million passengers annually
• ~50% ownership in all airport investments with the exception of Leeds at 100%
Atlantia Spa
• Owner and operator of transport infrastructure in the toll road and airport sectors with revenues of $12.6 billion in 2018
• Operates two commercial airports in Rome (Fiumincino and Ciampino), a controlling stake in Aeroports de la Cote d’Azur (Nice, Cannes and Saint Tropez Airports) and a minority stake in Aeroporti de Bologna
• 70 million passengers annually
• Controlling interest in Aeroporti di Roma, 40.0% interest in Aeroports de la C"te d’Azur and 29.4% interest in Aeroporti di Bologna
Lambert Gateway Partners
(Blackstone Infrastructure Partners, Groupe ADP, the Hall of Fame Group, The Bridgeman Hospitality Group, Cleveland Avenue and the Public School and Education Employee Retirement Systems of Missouri)
• Blackstone Infrastructure manages over $14 billion of investor capital under a long-term strategy to invest in infrastructure
• Groupe ADP (France) manages the Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Le Bourget airports around Paris and operates numerous airports internationally
Groupe ADP manages 25 airports across four continents with over 280 million passengers annually
CAAP
• Corporacion America Airports (CAAP) is the largest private sector airport concession operator in the world based on the number of airports under management and the tenth largest based on passenger traffic.
• Operates more than 50 airports in Latin America and Europe, including 33 in Argentina
• Over 75 million passengers annually
daa PLC
• daa is owned by the Irish State and is a standalone business with a fully commercial mandate
• Operates four airports with over 80 million passengers annually
• Operates the Dublin and Cork Airports, terminal operations at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia and has investments in Dusseldorf (20% stake), Larnaca and Paphos airports (11% stake via Hermes); daa also operates the global travel retail business Aer Rianta International (ARI)
GIP
• GIP manages approximately $68 billion in infrastructure investments globally
• Has ownership interests in London Gatwick and Edinburgh airports in the U.K. and recently invested in Paine Field Airport (Washington state); GIP owned and managed London City Airport before selling it in 2016
• More than 60 million passengers annually
GRID Realty, LLC
• GRID Realty, LLC develops, consults and brokers and owns real estate opportunities in the St. Louis region. GRID is owned by Michael Goellner who has over 20 years of relevant experience
H.R.L. Morrison & Co.
• Manages over $3 billion in privately held airports with a combined value of $11.5 billion, plus other investments in listed airports; investments are focused in Australia and New Zealand, as well as Europe and Asia
• Investments in seven airports in Australia (Perth, Melbourne, Launceston, Gold Coast, Townsville, Mt. Isa and Longreach) and one in New Zealand (Wellington). Additionally, is invested in listed airport companies throughout Europe and Asia
IFM Investors (IFM) / Manchester Airports Group (MAG)
• IFM manages $98 billion of investments for long-term institutional investors globally and $41 billion of direct infrastructure equity investments and has ownership interests in the Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth airports in Australia and the Vienna airport in Austria
• MAG owns the London Stansted, East Midlands and Manchester airports in the UK.
• IFM’s airports (including its three investments in MAG) handle 160 million passengers annually
• MAG operates three airports in the U.K. serving 62 million passengers annually (35.5% IFM ownership in each); IFM has ownership stakes in three Australian airports: Melbourne (25%), Brisbane (20%) and Darwin (77%), as well as a 40% ownership stake in Vienna Airport, Austria
Odinsa
• Odinsa is a Colombian infrastructure company that is a subsidiary of Grupo Argos. The company develops and operates transportation infrastructure throughout Latin America, including two airport concessions in Colombia and Ecuador. Through these two airports, Odinsa manages 40 million passengers and over one million tons of cargo annually
• Owns 65% of El Dorado Bogota International Airport and 46.5% of El Quito International Airport
STL Aviation Group
(Oaktree Transportation Infrastructure Fund, VINCI Airports, JLC Infrastructure / MJE-Loop Capital Partners (JLC), Ullico)
• Oaktree Infrastructure is a leading U.S. investor in the transportation infrastructure space and remains the only investor to successfully close a U.S. airport P3 under the AIPP as well as the owner/operator of one of the only privately-run commercial terminals in the U.S.
• JLC is an investment manager focused on investing in infrastructure projects that serve as a catalyst for fostering community and economic empowerment
• VINCI Airports is the world’s leading private airport operator
• VINCI Airports develops, finances, builds and operates a network of nearly 50 airports serving over 240 million passengers annually
OMERS Infrastructure Management / Fraport AG
• OMERS Infrastructure Management Infrastructure manages over C$17 billion in infrastructure assets and is an owner of London City Airport in the U.K.
• Fraport (Germany) is one of the leading developers and operators of airports globally, with investments into more than 25 airports on four continents and including New York JFK (Terminal 5), Baltimore, Cleveland, Nashville and Pittsburgh in the US
• Over 300 million passengers annually
Gateway Airport Partners
(Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (OTPP) / Ontario Airports Investments / Copenhagen Airports International)
• OTPP is one of the world’s largest pension plan managers and manages an infrastructure investment portfolio of more than $13 billion
• Investments in the Copenhagen, Brussels, Birmingham, Bristol and London City airports
• More than 80 million passengers annually
Momentum Aviation Partners
(Partners Group (USA), ASUR and AECOM Hunt)
• Partners Group (Switzerland) manages $11bn in infrastructure investments globally
• ASUR (Mexico) operates a number of airports in Mexico along with the San Juan, Puerto Rico airport
• More than 52 million passengers annually
PSP Investments (PSPIB) / AviAlliance
• PSPIB has invested C$15.7 billion in 48 infrastructure investments in 32 countries. PSPIB owns AviAlliance, which has ownership interests in Athens, Budapest, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and San Juan airports
• Nearly 90 million passengers annually
• Ownership: Athens (55%), Budapest (55%), Dusseldorf (30%), Hamburg (49%), San Juan (40%)
Royal Schiphol Group N.V.
• Schiphol is the owner operator of Amsterdam Schiphol, Rotterdam The Hague and Lelystad airports and holds a majority interest in Eindhoven Airport; these airports handle more than 79 million passengers annually.
• Schipho also invests in or provides services to another eight airports globally, including JFK Terminal 4 (handling over 21 million passengers annually)
Vantage Airport Group
• Vantage has operations at 10 airports internationally and is the current operator of LaGuardia Airport Terminal B
• More than 25 years of experience managing, investing in and developing 31 airports internationally
• 58 million passengers annually
• Current operations 10 airports globally including as lessee/operator at four airports in Canada (John C. Munro International, Kamloops, Greater Moncton Romeo LeBlanc International, North Prease Regional).
———
©2019 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Visit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at www.stltoday.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
