Chile's public works ministry (MOP) has finally issued a tender process for the concession contract to expand and operate Santiago's international airport.

The concession will require investment of US$655 million.

Beginning in September 2015 when the current concession comes to an end, the new contract will have a duration of 15 years lasting until 2030. Technical and economic bids are scheduled on September 30.

According to tender documents, technical bids will be opened on the same submission day, September 30, and economic bids will be opened one month later, October 30th. 

MOP had started the pre-qualification process in February 2013.

The concession includes the development of a 200,00 m2 new international passenger terminal, the remodelling and expansion of the existing domestic passenger terminal, the construction of more than 4,000 new parking spaces in a multi-storey car park, and a number of landscaping projects.

The project aims to triple Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport's capacity to 29 million per year by 2030 and 50 million por year by 2045. The current airport infrastructure has a capacity of just 9 million passengers.

Once the concession has been awarded, there will be a one-year period for engineering development, followed by four years of construction works.

According to the MOP, the airport handled most that 15 million passengers in 2013, despite only having capacity for 9 million.

In late January we reported that Corporación América, owned by Argentinian millionaire Eduardo Eurnekian, and Morgan Stanley Infrastructure planned to bid together for  the project.