SHREVEPORT, La. — Shreveport is seeking new rental-car concession agreements at its airports, replacing a structure dating to 1999 as passenger traffic and rental-car revenue at Shreveport Regional Airport have climbed sharply in recent years.
The Shreveport Airport Authority is seeking proposals for non-exclusive rental-car concessions serving Shreveport Regional Airport and Shreveport Downtown Airport. The new agreements would replace those under which six existing rental-car brands — Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty — currently operate.
The timing comes amid substantial growth at Shreveport Regional.
Enplaned passengers increased from 193,508 in fiscal year 2021 to 391,254 in fiscal year 2025, an increase of more than 102%.
Rental-car business has risen alongside passenger traffic. Gross receipts increased from approximately $2.33 million in 2021 to $3.64 million in 2025, a gain of more than 56%.
Receipts totaled approximately $2.83 million in 2022, $3.18 million in 2023 and $3.55 million in 2024 before reaching the 2025 level.
Under the proposed concession structure, rental-car operators would pay the Airport Authority the greater of 12% of gross revenue or a minimum annual guarantee proposed by each company. Operators would also pay applicable rent and other airport charges.
The procurement is designed to generate revenue for the airport rather than require city expenditures.
The Airport Authority could award as many as eight concessions, potentially expanding the number of rental-car brands available from the current six.
Companies must submit separate proposals for each brand they seek to operate, and no more than two brands from the same corporate family may receive concessions.
Among otherwise qualified proposers, companies offering the highest first-year minimum annual guarantees would receive priority. Rankings would also determine the order in which companies select terminal counter locations and ready-and-return parking spaces.
The solicitation also introduces plans for a customer facility charge at Shreveport Regional Airport. Rental-car companies would collect the charge from customers and remit the money to the Airport Authority.
The amount of the charge has not yet been established and would require separate action by the Airport Authority.
The agreements extend beyond traditional terminal rentals. They also cover rental transactions originating through fixed-base operators at both Shreveport Regional and Shreveport Downtown airports.
At Shreveport Regional, concessionaires would be required to provide service for all commercial flight arrivals, including delayed and off-schedule flights, and maintain sufficient vehicle inventories to meet passenger demand.
Shreveport Regional is currently served by Allegiant, American, Delta and United airlines, while Shreveport Downtown primarily serves general aviation.
The initial concession agreements would begin Jan. 1, 2027, and run for five years, with the Airport Authority retaining options for two additional one-year extensions.
Beginning in the second year, each operator’s minimum annual guarantee would be adjusted under a formula tied to inflation and prior-year performance. The guarantee would become the greater of the previous guarantee increased by the Consumer Price Index or 3%, whichever is greater, or 85% of the previous year’s actual gross revenue.
Proposals are due by 3 p.m. Nov. 5.
The Airport Authority will determine the final number of concessions based on factors including financial return, competition, available space, operational considerations and benefits to travelers.
The solicitation represents a significant reset of a rental-car concession structure that has been in place for more than a quarter-century — during a period when Shreveport Regional is handling roughly twice the number of enplaned passengers it did four years ago.