Chile advances tenders for Valdivia airport expansion

Chile’s public works ministry (MOP) launched a consultancy tender related to the upcoming expansion of Pichoy airport, which serves southern city Valdivia in Los Ríos region. 

The consultancy contract entails advisory services during the bid evaluation process for the works, which are expected to need 8.5bn pesos (US$10mn) and the tender for which was launched last month, documents show. 

The expansion entails increasing the airport’s size to 4,652m2, two new boarding bridges and 23 new parking lots. The work is part of a US$1.4bn plan to expand 11 airports and airdromes in the country.

Technical proposals for the 530mn-peso consulting contract will be opened on April 27, while economic offers will be opened on May 5. Documents can be seen at public procurement website Mercado Público, here.

Earlier this week, MOP launched a separate studies tender to draft a second expansion project at the airport that would be awarded as a concession, the head of MOP’s airport division, Claudia Cavallo, told Diario Financiero.

The second expansion would bring the airport’s capacity to over 600,000 passengers per year.

Documents for that tender can be seen here. Technical proposals will be opened on June 6, and bids on June 17.