Aer Rianta to run duty paid shops in Chinese airport

AER RIANTA International is set to enter the Chinese market for the first time, running 11 retail outlets for the Yunnan Airport Group.

The company, which is a subsidiary of Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), will run separate duty paid stores at the new Kunming Changshui International Airport, which is due to open next January to replace the city’s existing airport.

Kunming Changshui, which is located in Yunnan Province in south-west China, will have the capacity to handle up to 70 million passengers per year. It is expected to be China’s fourth largest after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and its new terminal will be the largest single terminal building in the country.

The deal marks the first time that Aer Rianta International (ARI), which is already present in regions such as the Middle East and eastern Europe, will enter the Chinese market.

“This is a very significant strategic move for ARI, as it means we will be operating outlets in the fast-growing Chinese airport market for the first time,” said DAA chief executive Declan Collier.

DAA hopes the deal will be the first of many partnerships between the two airport authorities. The Chinese aviation market is expected to expand rapidly, with passenger numbers forecast to jump by 163 per cent by 2020.