Arup Assists Airports of the Future Consortium Win Bid for Rio de Janeiro International Airport

NEW YORK, Dec. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Arup, a multidisciplinary engineering and consulting firm with a reputation for delivering innovative and sustainable designs, announced today it assisted the Airports of the Future consortium, formed by the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht and the Singaporean operator Changi Airport Group, to win the recent auction of the Rio de Janeiro International Airport known as Galeao.  Held in Sao Paulo, the amount offered was $8 billion (BRL 19 billions), about 294% of the minimum bid of $2.4 billion (BRL 4.82 billion). The concession of the airport is for 25 years.

Working alongside the consortium for more than a year, Arup developed the master plan of the airport; detailed the project phases; gathered information about air traffic forecasts; calculated the amount of material required for the execution of the project; and assisted in the evaluation of the existing airport conditions for the bid preparation.

"Increasingly, airport development is being implemented by the private sector," said Regine Weston, Arup's project director and principal aviation consultant. "We are privileged to work around the globe with airports, airlines and private groups, such as Airports of the Future, who are committed to developing world class airports to serve their local communities and welcome the world into their homes."                                                                                  

In this first stage, the planned improvements in the Rio de Janeiro International Airport include creating at least 26 new aircrafts gates, a new aircraft apron, and a new garage for vehicles. The initial phase, which is scheduled to be complete by January 2016, will include special accommodations for the 2016 Olympic Games to be hosted in Rio. Additional terminal processing, aircraft gates, car parking and a new runway will be built by the end of the concession.

"It was a great win and we are excited to have this work in our portfolio of projects in Rio," said Ricardo Pittella, principal and Brazil group leader for Arup. "We have had the opportunity to work on many important projects in the city, including the Line 4 Metro, Rio 2016 Olympic arenas, and now the airport. We are happy to have the opportunity to contribute to the growth of our city."

Arup has great expertise in working with airport projects. The company was responsible for implementing development solutions to support Olympic activity in other host city airports such as London Heathrow (UK) 2012 and Beijing (China) 2008.  Arup is also leading projects at rapidly growing airports in Hong Kong, Dubai and New York City.

About Arup
Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the world's most prominent projects in the built environment and across industry. Its engineers and consultants deliver innovative projects across the world. Arup opened its first US office 25 years ago, and now employs 1,000 in the Americas. The firm was founded in 1946 with an enduring set of values that fosters a distinctive culture, intellectual independence and collaborative approach. The people at Arup are driven to find a better way to deliver better solutions for their clients. (www.arup.com)

SOURCE Arup