Manchester Airports Group (MAG) is set to appeal the ruling in the concession tender for the Sofia Airport that selected a consortium of French infrastructure investor Meridiam and Munich Airport as a winner. 

MAG and China’s state-owned Beijing Construction Engineering Group will submit a formal appeal at the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) against the ruling of Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC). 

On November 14, Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) in Bulgaria has rejected the appeal of MAG-BCEG Consortium (Manchester airport, Beijing construction engineering group), SSB-Copenhagen Consortium (SSB AG, Copenhagen Airports), Fraport Bulgaria and Aeroports de Paris-TAV Consortium against Sofia airport concession award. 

The losing bidders can appeal in SAC court within 14 days of rejection by CPC. If the rejection is not challenged the authority is expecting to complete a contract signature with winning consortium SOF Connect (Munich airport, Meridiam and Strabag construction) by the end of 2019.

MAG believes that its bid was superior to the winning offer of the Meridiam-Munich Airport. There is no report yet whether Aéroports de Paris and Turkish TAV Havalimanlari Holding, Germany’s Fraport and the tie-up between Swiss-based SSB Sauerwein & Schaefer and Copenhagen Airports will submit their respective appeals.