MIPIM 2013: Stansted deal ‘just the start’ says MAG
MANCHESTER Airports Group told the MIPIM property convention yesterday that its £1.5bn acquisition of Stansted was “just the start”.
Andrew Cliffe, managing director for assets at MAG, told the audience the January deal signalled a period of frenetic activity mainly based around its £650m Airport City development.
Airport City has two areas, the 1.4 million sq ft logistics hub to the south and the one million sq ft office scheme to the north of the airport.
He said: “It’s been a successful 12 months but you will see an awful lot more from us over the next two years and Airport City will be at the heart of that.”
He said there would be new services, with Asia Pacific growth a “key target”. The airport has been working on a direct service to China for some time.
“We’ll continue to target this area from Manchester and we have the same ambition at Stansted where we’ll be expanding long haul flights and will have greater short haul connectivity.”
MAG’s Airport City director Karen Campbell said engineers were weeks away from starting on a £27m programme of infrastructure works.
“This will include roads, landscaping and utility works that will all help in delivering the first phase,” she said.
She also told an audience that a joint venture partner for the development should be announced in mid-June.
She said: “We’re in the process of securing a jont venture partner… we’re very pleased with the level of interest we’ve had from international developers and the standard of people interested in this project.”
Dan Lejerskar, co-founder and chair of the Californian tech firm EON Reality, also spoke at the event, detailing his aspirations for EON’s European headquarters that officially open in Manchester next week.
