March 28 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's government said on Wednesday it has authorised the transport ministry to sign a 35-year concession contract for Plovdiv Airport with a tie-up including China-based HNA Group and local company Plovdiv Airport Invest.
Under the concession deal, the tie-up will invest at least 79 million euro ($97.8 million) during the concession period, the government said in a statement.
The funds will be invested in maintenance and rehabilitation of the existing infrastructure and the construction of new facilities.
After the grace period of 48 months, for each calendar year the concessionaire will make a payment consisting of fixed amount of 600,000 levs, and 6% of the airport's total net income for the respective year.
The transport ministry should sign the contract with the tie-up in two months.
Bulgaria launched the tender for the concession of the Plovdiv Airport in January 2017. In May, the transport ministry said that three tie-ups - Silk Road Plovdiv Airport, Consortium Plovdiv Airport and the tie-up between Hainan and Plovdiv Airport Invest - had filed bids.
HNA Group's assets amount to $145 billion, according to the statement. It has more than 410,000 employees. The company operates 13 airports and services more than 100 million passengers.
($=0.8071 euro)