Director – Airside Commercial Development & Concessions

Job Description

Role Purpose

Tashkent New International Hub Airport is a greenfield development positioned to capture the fast-growing Central Asian air cargo market, where transcontinental flows between Asia, Europe and North America are increasingly routed through regional hubs such as Tashkent, Almaty and Baku.

Global air cargo is forecast to roughly double over the next two decades, with an estimated 4.1% CTK CAGR, led by e-commerce, pharmaceuticals and perishables, which are the segments the hub is being designed to serve.

The Director, Airside Commercial Development owns the end-to-end commercialisation of the airport’s airside commercial concessions.

Three concessions must be delivered for the 2030 opening:

Build-Transfer-Operate cargo terminal concession, covering 2030–2061

10-year ground handling concession

General Aviation terminal and Fixed-Base Operator

A further set of value-adding concessions will be targeted for delivery where readiness allows.

The role spans the full transaction lifecycle, including strategy and scoping, drafting and issuing the RFP, running a fair and competitive tender through to financial close, and managing the operational start-up and early performance of each concessionaire.

The Director is accountable for maximising commercial value, safeguarding service quality and competition, and protecting the airport’s long-term interests as landlord and grantor.

Deliverable Categories Against Commercial Operations Date 2030

Must Be Delivered by COD 2030

Cargo Terminal Concession, BTO

Ground Handler

General Aviation terminal and FBO

Nice to Have by COD 2030

Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul

In-Flight Catering

East Side Cargo and Logistics Ancillary Concessions

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy, Scoping and Business Case

Set the airside commercial strategy by establishing the required fact base before scoping, including market and demand analysis, cargo and traffic forecasting, regional hub and competitor benchmarking, such as Almaty and Baku, catchment analysis, airline and freight-forwarder engagement, and a review of comparable airport concession models.

Decide the sourcing and packaging approach, including make-versus-concession decisions, which activities should be bundled or tendered separately, the concession model for each opportunity, and the sequencing of must-have and nice-to-have deliverables against COD 2030.

Define the commercial and technical scope of each concession, translating the strategy into the airport master plan, airside layout, apron and stand allocation, and forecast throughput.

Build the business case and financial models covering NPV, IRR, concession fees, revenue share and minimum guarantees, and establish the value-for-money benchmarks used to evaluate bids.

Shape the concession structure, including BTO terms, tenure, capacity triggers, tariff regulation, KPIs and hand-back conditions, in coordination with legal, technical and financial advisors.

Engage stakeholders, including the airport authority, civil aviation regulator, airlines, freight forwarders, integrators and government.

Secure the required internal approvals and board mandate.

2. RFP Drafting and Tender Management

Draft and issue the RFP and tender documentation, including the information memorandum, instructions to bidders, technical specifications, draft concession agreement and evaluation methodology.

Run the procurement process end-to-end, including market sounding, pre-qualification, bidder questions and clarifications, site visits, and a structured and auditable evaluation.

Chair the evaluation against transparent technical and financial criteria.

Document scoring, manage probity and conflicts of interest, and prepare recommendation reports for approval.

Lead commercial negotiations and take the process through to financial close.

Finalise the concession agreements and preferred-bidder award.

Coordinate signing and conditions precedent.

3. Concession Start-Up and Performance

Mobilise each concessionaire and manage the transition from award to operational readiness.

Manage design reviews, construction milestones for the BTO terminal, and operational go-live.

Coordinate delivery and readiness interfaces across master planning, design, the EPC contractor, utilities, ORAT, airside safety and security, environmental approvals, customs and border agencies.

Align the new-build concessions, including the cargo terminal, MRO, catering and General Aviation facilities, with the wider airport programme.

Secure timely delivery and operational readiness.

Establish governance and KPIs, including the performance regime, reporting, service-level monitoring, fee collection and audit rights.

Act as the airport’s day-one relationship owner.

Manage risk and compliance across safety, security, environmental and contractual obligations.

Resolve early-operational issues and disputes.

The Concessions

Must-Have Concessions Required for COD 2030

1. BTO Cargo Terminal

Model: Build-Transfer-Operate concession
Term: 31 years, from 2030 to 2061
Capacity: Phase 1 capacity of 250,000 tonnes per annum, growing to 500,000 tonnes per annum by the end of the concession term in 2061

Scope:

Design, finance, build, transfer and operate the cargo terminal.

Include special-cargo capabilities for pharmaceuticals, perishables, dangerous goods and valuables.

Focus:

Long-horizon capital delivery

Phased capacity triggers

Hand-back conditions

2. Ground Handling

Model: Operating concession or licence
Term: 10 years
Capacity: Scaled to airport traffic and aligned with cargo and passenger growth

Scope:

Ramp and/or cargo ground-handling services under a competitive service-quality regime.

Focus:

Service levels

Competition

Pricing

Airline satisfaction

3. General Aviation

Model: Build and operate concession
Term: 15 years, indicative
Capacity: Dedicated General Aviation terminal and Fixed-Base Operator, scaled to business and private aviation demand

Scope:

New-build General Aviation terminal.

The concessionaire will design, finance and construct the facility.

Fixed-Base Operator services for business and private aviation.

Focus:

Meet the current demand for private and special-aircraft services.

Ensure day-one readiness.

Nice-to-Have Concessions Targeted for COD 2030

Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul

Model: Build and operate concession

Indicative Scope:

New-build facility to be designed, financed and constructed by the concessionaire.

Line and base maintenance, repair and overhaul for based and transit fleets.

In-Flight Catering

Model: Build and operate concession

Indicative Scope:

New-build flight kitchen to be designed, financed and constructed by the concessionaire.

Catering logistics serving airline and lounge demand.

East Side Cargo and Logistics

Model: Land concession or lease

Indicative Scope:

Ancillary cargo, freight-forwarder and logistics real estate on the east side of the airport.

The MRO and in-flight catering concessions each require the construction of new, purpose-built facilities as part of the concession scope.

Candidate Profile

Core Competencies

Concession and tender leadership: Structuring, drafting, tendering and negotiating complex commercial concessions through to award and financial close. PPP or project-finance exposure is an advantage, particularly for build-and-operate concessions.

Multi-asset commercial scoping: Defining scope, model and value across cargo, ground handling, MRO, in-flight catering, General Aviation, and cargo and logistics real estate.

Procurement and probity governance: Running fair, competitive and auditable tenders, and chairing evaluation panels.

Financial modelling and value for money: Experience with NPV, IRR, concession fees, revenue share and minimum guarantees.

Stakeholder and investor management: Credibility with government entities, regulators, airlines, lenders and shareholders.

Concessionaire mobilisation and performance: Managing the transition to operational readiness, day-one KPIs and concessionaire relationships.

Experience and Qualifications

Minimum of 15 years of experience in airport commercial development, infrastructure concessions and commercial contracting, or aviation ground operations.

Experience in PPP or Build-Transfer-Operate projects.

Leadership of at least one major concession or infrastructure tender through to financial close.

Demonstrable expertise in air cargo and/or ground-handling markets, terminal development and airport economics.

Exposure to adjacent airside businesses, including MRO, in-flight catering, General Aviation, and cargo and logistics real estate, is an advantage.

Degree in business, engineering, economics or law.

Postgraduate qualification or MBA is preferred.

Proven track record in drafting RFPs and concession agreements.

Experience running competitive tenders and negotiating with international bidders, lenders and advisors.

Skills and Attributes

Strong commercial and financial acumen, including modelling, valuation, concession-fee structuring and risk allocation.

Excellent procurement governance, probity and stakeholder-management skills.

Ability to operate credibly with government entities, regulators and global investors.

Outcome-driven, with the resilience to manage a multi-year transaction from strategy through to operational start-up.

Fluency in English is essential.

Russian and/or Uzbek language skills are an advantage.

Ability to structure and run multiple concurrent concession processes across diverse asset types against a single COD deadline.

Ability to sequence must-have and nice-to-have deliverables based on value and readiness.