WHITE PLAINS – Three airport operating companies have responded
to a request for proposals to manage and operate Westchester County Airport
as part of a public-private partnership.
An FAA program allows profits from airport operations to be used for public
purposes such as parks, public safety, roads and social services.
The responding companies are FerroStar Westchester Airport Partners, HPN
Aviation Group, LLC, and MIC Airports, LLC.
The next step is for the county’s Airport Task Force to review the
proposals. A lease agreement would then be negotiated with the company
deemed to have the best proposal, which would them go before the county
board of legislators. That vote is expected to take place by the end of
the year with 12 votes needed for approval.
“I’m confident that our initiative will result in a revitalization
of Westchester County Airport that benefits taxpayers, enhances the experiences
of passengers, and protects the character of the surrounding communities,”
said County Executive Robert Astorino. “This is about smart government
working to position a vital county asset for a strong future.”
More about the three responders:
• FerroStar Westchester Airport Partners is a consortium comprised
of Ferrovial Airports International and Star America Fund GP. Ferrovial,
based in Spain, is an international company that specializes in construction,
infrastructure, and airports, and Star America is a New York-based infrastructure
asset manager that has financed, underwritten and managed over 45 infrastructure
projects valued at over $60 billion.
• HPN Aviation Group is a joint-venture between Oaktree Transportation
Infrastructure and Connor Capital Transportation Opportunities. Oaktree
is based in Los Angeles and its global clients include 75 of the 100 largest
U.S. pension plans, over 400 corporations around the world, over 350 endowments
and foundations globally, 16 sovereign wealth funds and 38 of the 50 primary
state retirement plans in the United States. Connor Capital is a private
investment partnership focused on investing in transportation and transportation-related
companies. Since 2013, it has operated Luis Munoz Marin International
Airport outside of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and also created a 50-year partnership
for the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore, MD, the primary port serving
Washington, D.C.
• MIC Airports, LLC, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Macquarie
Infrastructure Corporation, which owns, operates and invests in a portfolio
of infrastructure businesses. The Manhattan-based company consists of
an airport services business, a gas processing and distribution business,
and a portfolio of contracted power and energy investments that includes
ownership of gas-fired and controlling interests in wind and solar power
facilities in the U.S. Macquarie owns Atlantic Aviation, an operator of
more than 60 fixed-based operators including locations at Stewart International
and Teterboro airports. It also has ownership and management interests
throughout the world, including at Brussels Airport, Copenhagen Airport
and Delhi Airport.
