"This is an outstanding opportunity for aviation-relateddevelopers to participate in what is perhaps the only 'greenfield'airport project underway in the western hemisphere," says JohnCarver, EVP of the Colliers Multimodal Services Group. The Colliersteam was retained by Corporacion Quiport SA, the entity awarded theconcession to finance, construct and operate the facility.

Conceived in 2002, the new Quito airport will replace the agingMariscal Sucre Airport, which is situated in the center of the city15 miles away to the west. Cargo and passenger forecasts havecontinued to increase for the airport since the plan was launched,explains Carver, and the result has been an expanded developmentstrategy. Part of the firm's role will involve identifyingqualified companies that would be interested in participating inthe venture, a search that Carver says will be launched shortly viaa requests-for-proposals process.

The ongoing advisory assignment will be directed from theColliers International office in Los Angeles, which will overseethe efforts of the Multimodal Services Group and the Colliers LatinAmerica Services Group. According to Carver, the immediate taskwill be to identify and attract companies needed to delivercritical elements of the project support system that must be inplace by the opening, including cargo facilities, general aviationhangers and ancillary services. Other aspects will be added overtime as dictated by the client.