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Duty free sales nearly double, number of passengers shows growth at airport
Duty free sales have nearly doubled at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport, even as food and beverage sales have remained flat over the last six years, according to a Ricondo and Associates report prepared for the Commonwealth Ports Authority on concession program and optional leasing strategies.
In fiscal year 2009 duty-free sales were $9.48 million, increasing in fiscal 2010 to $9.67 million, and increasing again in fiscal 2011 to $10.69 million.
The increase continued in fiscal 2012 with sales totaling $13.04 million. This went up to $14.98 million in 2013, and reached $17.84 million in 2014.
Food and beverage sales for the last six years were around $700,000 to $900,000, according to the data.
The number of enplaned passengers per fiscal year moved between around 425,000 to above 500,000 passengers, with fiscal 2013 having the largest number of passengers with 517,187, according to Ricondo.
For fiscal 2014, the number of enplaned passengers reached 510,000. For 2012, it was 513,472; for 2011, 404,652; for 2010, 422,542; and for 2009, 425,982.
Duty free sales in fiscal 2014 topped 2013 sales by nearly $3 million despite the decrease in enplaned passengers.
This fiscal year, duty free sales per passenger reached a high of $44.82 over the last six years.
In 2013, this number was at $35.83; in 2012, 32.92; in 2011, $35.41; in 2010; 29.01; and in 2009, $28.90.
Currently, DFS has the “exclusive right to operate facilities at each and every port…for the sale of duty-free and other items of merchandise” under its current master concession agreement with CPA, according to Ricondo in its report. That agreement is set to expire in 2015.
