MIA sets the ball rolling on second business centre

Malta International Airport has set the ball rolling for a second business centre on its grounds by inviting prospective bidders to submit a design concept for SkyParks 2.

The €40 million investment will see the construction of a building that will house offices, commercial space and a four-star business hotel.

MIA is now asking prospective bidders to submit an initial design concept by 13 February 2019.

The hotel is envisaged to have a footprint of 1,400 square metres and a separate invitation for tenders issued at a later stage will form part of the selection process of an operator for the hotel.

MIA said that at this stage, bidders were required to present a detailed breakdown of floor area usage for each level of the multi-storey building, including the number of spaces designated for parking, office area available for rent, and the number of hotel rooms and other amenities offered.

“Works on SkyParks 2 are expected to be set into motion once MIA re-assesses the feasibility of this project following the ideation stage and finalises its ongoing multi-storey car park project, which is slated for completion in 2020,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

A master plan for MIA was approved by the Planning Authority in 2018. Besides the development of SkyParks 2, the master plan provides for an extension of the existing terminal building, which would enable MIA to cater for future growth in passenger numbers.