Swiss airport operator Flughafen Zurich has been awarded the concession to operate and expand Herlico Luz International Airport in the city of Florianopolis, in southern Brazil.
Herlico Luz serves a local population of 1.1 million inhabitants within its catchment area and is located on the island of Santa Catarina, a famous holiday destination.
In 2016, the airport served 3.6 million passengers with a revenue of CHF26m (US$26m). It has been the most resilient of Brazilian airports throughout the country’s economic downturn, which has seen four of its airports privatized.
The signing of the concession agreement is expected in July 2017, meaning Flughafen Zurich will own 100% of the airport and operate it under a concession until 2047.
The operator will expand and improve Herlico Luz’s infrastructure to achieve its maximum growth potential with best practice developed in Switzerland, while preserving local Brazilian values.