TIRUCHY: After its previous tender failed to attract bidders due to the high bid amount cited, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Tiruchy, has floated a fresh one for awarding a master concession towards establishment of permanent retail food and beverage (F&B) outlets at the city international airport.
Under the proposal, a single entity will be granted the exclusive right to develop and operate dining outlets, with each one dedicated to a specific product category. Currently, six F&B outlets function on a temporary basis at the arrival area of the airport.
To meet the growing demand from passengers, airport authorities have planned a certain number of permanent outlets, keeping in mind also the airport's annual passenger traffic having touched 1.9 million by December 2025. Accordingly, the AAI-Tiruchy floated an earlier tender for awarding a master concession.
It, however, did not attract bidders due to the high bid amount. Following this, the rates were revised and the tender was floated afresh, for which the last date for submission of bids is February 4, 2026, said S S Raju, director of the Tiruchy international airport.
The concessionaire will be responsible for designing, financing, developing, marketing, operating and maintaining the F&B outlets within the designated concession premises at the airport.
A competitive bidding process has been initiated for the selection of the concessionaire, who will be awarded the contract for a period of seven years, the director told. "It is proposed to allot around 800 square metres of space across the arrival-, departure- and city-side areas.
This will enable the concessionaire to establish 30 to 40 outlets offering a wide range of food and beverages to suit passenger needs. No two outlets will sell similar products. The concessionaire will take over the entire allotted space and sub-divide it to operate individual outlets. The bidder will pay a fixed amount per passenger per month," Raju said. The minimum guarantee amount has been fixed at `17.17 per passenger, he added.