Ferrovial Airports has opened its U.S.-based headquarters in Austin, Texas. The company says the new office will allow Ferrovial Airports to focus on its activity in the airport industry in North America and establish a strong local presence.
Daniel Piñán, head of corporate development North America for Ferrovial Airports, said Austin, where the company has had a presence since 2005, is “the natural place to be.”
Ferrovial Airports has been ramping up its presence in the North American market, most notably with the Great Hall Partners consortium that is remodeling and managing commercial operations at Denver International Airport’s Jeppesen Terminal Great Hall. The Great Hall project broke ground in July 2018 and is slated for completion in late 2021.
More P3 opportunities are expected as airports struggle to manage infrastructure requirements with limited funding sources. “The U.S. is a strategic growth market for Ferrovial Airports as we expect public-private partnerships (P3s) to arise in the coming years,” said Jorge Gil, CEO for Ferrovial Airports.
Noting the robust master plans of many airports, Piñán says P3s are an instrument to deliver results.
“The contribution of capital is only one of the benefits of P3s,” he said. “It also delivers best-in-class practices and innovation of the private sector in the design, construction and operation and maintenance. It transfers project risks to the private sector, shortens the delivery time and boosts the job creation opportunities for the local community. We believe it is a very suitable instrument for the current challenges of the U.S. airport system, and one that in our experience improves the passenger journey greatly.”
He also noted that the market requirements are different than what is typically found elsewhere in the world.
“The airports market in the U.S. is very unique from what you find in other regions, with proximity to stakeholders and local community engagement being of the utmost importance,” Piñán said. “The Austin office allows us to be closer to key airport industry stakeholders and strengthen our competitive advantages in the U.S.”
