Avolta awarded Shanghai Pudong International Airport concession, marking a first-in-a-generation duty-free win for an international operator in mainland China

Avolta AG (SIX: AVOL) announces a historic milestone award that reinforces Avolta’s strategy of geographical diversification and underpins its long-term growth ambitions in Asia-Pacific.

Under the concession, Avolta will operate inbound and outbound duty-free stores in Terminal 1 and the S1 Satellite Hall International Area at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The concession totals over 8,000m² across 43 stores at one of China’s key international gateways. Terminal 1 and the S1 Satellite Hall International Area are projected to handle 18.7 million international passengers in 2026.

With this win, Shanghai Pudong International Airport becomes Avolta’s first airport location in APAC where it will operate all three lines of business (duty-free, convenience and food & beverage) bringing together the full breadth of Avolta’s capabilities at one destination.

The award reflects the airport’s confidence in Avolta’s ability to combine global duty-free expertise, data-led category management and local market insight to deliver a high-quality, scalable retail proposition.

Freda Cheung, President and CEO Asia Pacific, Avolta, said: “Shanghai is a vital global gateway, and we will deliver a duty-free offer shaped by local insight, featuring Chinese brands and a locally adapted assortment, aligned with the expectations of today’s travelers. We thank Shanghai Pudong International Airport for its trust and partnership.”

Xavier Rossinyol, CEO, Avolta, said: “This is a breakthrough moment for Avolta, strategically and symbolically. Becoming the first international operator to enter mainland China’s airport duty-free segment in a generation reinforces our Destination 2027 ambition to grow through diversification and integrated travel experiences. My sincere thanks go to our teams on the ground, led by Freda, whose expertise and commitment made this historic achievement possible.”

As this is a first-of-its-kind award in mainland China, a number of procedural steps are required before Avolta can initiate operations under the newly awarded concession. Avolta has initiated these steps, and operations will commence once the process is complete.

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