MYANMAR’S Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has invited a Singapore consortium back to the negotiating table for the construction and operation of Hanthawaddy airport.
The back-up consortium comprises Singapore-based Yongnam Holdings, Changi Airports International subsidiary Changi Airport Planners and Engineers (CAPE), and Japan’s JGC Corporation.
Win Swe Tun, deputy director general of DCA, said the proposal submitted by the first-choice Incheon Airport consortium had not met DCA requirements, which was when the department decided to ask the Singapore consortium to re-enter negotiations.
However, Win Swe Tun insisted that this would have no bearing on Incheon Airport consortium’s stand in the bidding.
“There is speculation…that the department cancelled Incheon Airport consortium’s (bid). It is totally wrong news. We invited our back-up consortium because the proposal of Incheon Airport consortium didn’t meet our requirements, this is the only reason. So both Incheon and Singaporean consortiums will be considered for the bid,” he said, adding that the process is still ongoing.
The Yongnam-CAPE-JGC consortium had last year submitted a proposal for Hanthawaddy and was subsequently named as back-up tender for the project (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 28, 2014).
Hanthawaddy International Airport, located 77km north of Yangon near Bago, was first mooted for development in the early 1990s but construction ceased in October 23. The facility will have an annual capacity of 10 million passengers when completed.
