Bristol Airport is 50% owned by Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 1 (MEIF 1), with approximately 49% held by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (Teachers’), and the remainder held by Sydney Airport.
MEIF 1 is one of a range of listed and unlisted vehicles within Macquarie Capital Funds, investing in toll roads, airports, communications infrastructure, renewable energy, utilities and transport assets. In total, Macquarie Capital Funds manages around EURO 80 billion of assets. In addition to its share of Bristol Airport, MEIF 1 has holdings in Thames Water, Wales & West Utilities, Wightlink Shipping, the Arlanda Express rail service in Stockholm, and Brussels Airport.
Teachers’ has been a shareholder since 2002 and increased its stake in Bristol Airport in 2009. Teachers’ is the largest single-profession plan in Canada with C$87.4 billion (£49.2 billion GBP) in net assets as at 31 December 2008. It is a long-term investor in infrastructure assets around the world. In the UK, Teachers’ has significant ownership interests in Birmingham Airport, Northumbrian Water Group, Scotia Gas Networks and InterGen N.V., which operates gas-fired power plants generating more than 2,000 MW in the UK.