GMR Airports wins contract for duty-free shops at Kannur int'l airport

Kannur: GMR Airports Ltd has bagged the contract for duty-free shops at Kannur international airport in Kerala.

Kannur airport began commercial operations in December 2018.

As part of its concession agreement signed with Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL), the airport arm of the GMR group will finance, develop, operate and manage duty-free shops (DFS) at the Kerala’s fourth international airport for seven years, a release said.

The DFS contract is extendable by another three years, it added.

This is the first duty free concession outside GMR’s airport portfolio, as per the release.

“We are very happy to be partnering with KIAL to develop, operate and manage the duty-free outlets at Kannur international airport. We are excited about the potential of this airport,” said SGK Kishore, Executive Director South, GMR Airports.

Kannur airport largely caters to the significant number of diaspora from this region, who works in the Middle East, the release added.

The airport handled around 1.14 million passengers between April-November period of this fiscal, of which around 0.54 million were international flyers, as per the release.

GMR Group’s currently operates Delhi and Hyderabad airports and Mactan Cebu International Airport in partnership with Megawide in Philippines.