Aer Rianta International in Chinese retail deal

Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) subsidiary Aer Rianta International (ARI) has signed a retailing contract with Yunnan Airport Group in China.

The agreement will see ARI operate 11 retail outlets at Yunnan Airport Group’s new Kunming Changshui International Airport, which is due to open next January.

ARI will run separate duty paid stores selling branded skincare products, perfume and cosmetics, fashions items, accessories and other goods.

The outlets will be ARI’s first in China. The company currently operates businesses in North America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and India.

“This is a very significant strategic move for ARI, as it means we will be operating outlets in the fast-growing Chinese airport market for the first time,” said DAA Chief Executive Declan Collier.

“The Chinese aviation market is experiencing phenomenal growth and we are very excited at the potential for further opportunities in China,” Mr Collier added.

Last summer, DAA signed a strategic collaboration agreement with the Yunnan Airport Group, which operates 11 airports in south-west China, and it is hoped that the deal to operate 11 stores at the new Kunming Changshui Airport will be the first of many partnerships between the two airport authorities.

The new Kunming Airport, which is currently under construction, will be capable of handling up to 70 million passengers per year.