EBRD lends 57.8 mln euro to Zagreb Airport operator
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on Monday it is extending a 57.8 million euro ($64.2 million) loan to Medjunarodna Zracna Luka Zagreb (MZLZ), the concessionaire of Croatia’s main airport in the capital Zagreb, to support the financial restructuring of its concession.
The long-term financing is part of a wider 200 million euro refinancing package, which will support the airport’s financial sustainability in the longer term, the EBRD said in a statement.
The bank’s senior loan for the project is being disbursed in parallel with the participation of commercial lenders, the statement said.
“Successful balance sheet restructuring of Zagreb airport will improve the sustainability of the concession arrangements in the medium to longer term, permitting further private concessions and efficient operations by commercial parties,” the EBRD said. “The contribution to the restructuring is expected to maintain confidence in the operation and keep a key infrastructure run by the private sector,” it added.
MZLZ signed a 30-year concession agreement with the Croatian transport ministry back in 2012 for the management of the airport in Zagreb and the construction of its new terminal.
MZLZ, also known as the Zagreb Airport International Company (ZAIC), comprises France’s Bouygues Batiment International, Aeroports de Paris (ADP), Turkey’s TAV Airports, EU-backed Marguerite Fund, the World Bank’s private sector arm – the IFC, and Croatia’s Viadukt.
Passenger traffic at Zagreb airport rose 2.7% year-on-year in January-July to 1,900,347, ADP reported earlier this month.
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