Useful Bargaining Chip.

Mr. Eurnekian has since used his profits from the Cablevision sale to plunge into the tourism and agriculture businesses. But he retains his closely held media properties, even though most apparently are unprofitable. Some journalists employed by Mr. Eurnekian say that's because he finds their work useful as a bargaining chip with authorities.

As the airport bidding entered its final round, for instance, Mr. Eurnekian pulled the plug on a hard-hitting interview program called "Dia D" that had frequently uncovered scandals in the Menem government. The host of the program, Jorge Lanata, says he believes the sudden cancellation of his highly rated show was a quid-pro-quo for the airport deal. Mr. Eurnekian calls Mr. Lanata's interpretation "a ridiculous invention."

"I don't use my journalists to further my business interests," he insists. "I don't interfere with the news, although I reserve the right to do so." Mr. Eurnekian's subordinates say their boss personally vets the contents of news broadcasts and often subjects his staff to scathing outbursts when he disagrees with an issue.

Richard Ablon, the chairman of Ogden, says that Mr. Eurnekian's reputation as an autocrat doesn't bother him in the least. "It's true that Eduardo has a strong personality," he says. "But he's a tremendously successful businessman and one who is quick to make decisions. We don't need him to win any popularity contests."

Bleak Future.

What is clear is that by 1988, the future wasn't getting any brighter for the family business. Trade barriers were being pulled down and local companies were swamped by a flood of cheap imports. "I thought, how can I be a pioneer like my father?" recalls Mr. Eurnekian, who has never married and works legendarily long hours. "I thought: communications." That year, he invested in an almost-bankrupt cable-television company and bought a small business newspaper.

He set to work buying up cable licenses for greater Buenos Aires, a region of 13 million people, and, as his cash flow grew, bought a television channel and a radio station. His main textile plant was gradually gutted and filled with journalists and technicians.

Mr. Eurnekian's move was well timed. Attracted by President Carlos Menem's aggressive free-market policies and Argentina's relative affluence, U.S. cable operators began scouting for acquisitions here. In 1994, Mr. Eurnekian sold a 51% stake in his Cablevision SA, then Argentina's second-largest cable operator, to Tele-Communications International Inc. of Denver for $350 million. Last year, he netted $320 million by selling most of his remaining shares to local investment giant CEI Citicorp Holdings SA.

Foresaw Media Boom.

Mr. Eurnekian is no stranger to bold bets. A decade ago, he correctly foresaw that a combination of democratic government and free-market reforms would spur a media boom in Argentina. More recently, he has been at the forefront of investors, including George Soros of the U.S. and Italy's Benetton family, who believe Argentina will once again be one of the world's great agricultural powers. He has purchased a giant tract in the north of the country and is planting half of it with cotton for export.

"Eduardo is a visionary who also has a real knack for business," says Eric Pfeffer, president of Cendant Corp.'s hotel division in Parsippany, N.J. "He's a real find for us."

While Mr. Eurnekian's foreign partners have nothing but praise for the way he does business, his image in Argentina is more controversial. The son of Armenian immigrants, he started out in the family textile business, which by the early 1980s had fallen on hard times because of the disastrous state of the Argentine economy. Like many other companies in the textile industry, Mr. Eurnekian kept his companies afloat by borrowing tens of millions of dollars from a government development bank that was never repaid, people in the industry say.

Because of runaway inflation, the companies all contended that the loans were worthless, despite the government bank's insistence that they be indexed to inflation. During the 1980s, Mr. Eurnekian's brother and business partner held a senior economic post in the government of then President Raul Alfonsin.

Mr. Eurnekian denies ever borrowing money from the now-liquidated Banco Nacional de Desarrollo. The official in charge of the liquidation process at the economy ministry here says he can't confirm whether Mr. Eurnekian's companies borrowed money from the bank. "I don't want to cause myself any headaches," he says.

Argentine Visionary Hopes To Become a Tourism King.

Argentina's Eduardo Eurnekian is a hard-charging visionary who has built an almost $1 billion media empire in the past decade. Now, this local version of Citizen Kane wants to become Argentina's tourism king.

Earlier this month, a consortium led by Mr. Eurnekian won a 30-year concession to run 33 of the country's main airports. He has bought the Howard Johnsons master franchise for Argentine from Cendant Corp. of the U.S. and plans to pepper this vast country with U.S.-style hotels and motels. And he's engaged in talks to invest in a regional airline company.

"Tourism is going to be a geometric growth business in Argentina," says the 65-year-old Mr. Eurnekian in a rare interview. He says the Argentina of today is like the U.S. of the Eisenhower era: a place of newly affluent people who, coming out of years of hardship, want to stretch their legs. "The demand for U.S.-style and U.S.-quality services will be fantastic."

It had better be, given the size of the commitments made by Mr. Eurnekian and his partners in the airport deal. Together with New York-based ground-services giant Ogden Corp. and Italy's Assaeroporti SpA, the operator of Milan airport, Mr. Eurnekian's Corp. America Sudamericana SA has pledged to pay more than $5 billion to the government and to make $2.2 billion in new investments during the life of the concession. Currently, only two of the 33 airports are profitable and even those are in need of a major overhaul.

The Architecture of Carrasco airport.

The new airport sought to create an architectural landmark to represent Uruguay. A large curved ceiling of three spans almost 400 meters over the entire length of the building exceeding the ends and resting on the ground. Solid lines look wavy and its geometry resemble the natural landscape of the country.
This cover has a maximum width of more than 130 meters and inside living spaces in the area of items, the check-in hall, balcony and terrace. The roof has a total area of 45,000 square meters (more than 4 hectares).
The design sought to create large transparencies and a feeling of openness in public spaces. To achieve this, the upper deck building has a sloping glass envelope of approximately 8,000 square feet, so as to maximize natural lighting and provides a visual platform and open to the entire venue.
In turn, the public halls of items, interior terrace arrivals and were designed in double and triple height, connected with elevators and 4 escalators.
The new building is located parallel to the runway 06-24, which was extended to 3,200 meters. Together with the terminal, built a platform for aircraft in which to perform the loading and unloading of passengers through 4 telescopic sleeves. All this with the help of Corporación América and Eduardo Eurnekian.

Corporación América opened Carrasco Airport.

Corporate America, the firm hand of South Gate today opened the new Carrasco International Airport, which invested about $ 200 million to get to 5 million passengers annually, double the current capacity.
During the opening ceremony the president spoke of America Corporation, Eduardo Eurnekian, who noted the substance of the new work. Present were President of the Nation of Uruguay Tabare Vazquez and Public Works Minister Victor Rossi.
"Even five years ago - said Eurnekian - undertook the great challenge of managing the Carrasco International Airport and build its new terminal.
"When we started to dream this document do not think cement, glass and investments, but in the way of expressing the character and personality of Uruguay, dear, dear, so respected, not only by the Argentines, but for all nations.
"What a tremendous challenge, to demonstrate in a work, such admiration, both recognition, so much respect and much affection.
"It is so, then instruct him, a son of this land, the design of the enterprise to reflect the character of the Oriental people. We call for the challenge, the architect Rafael Viñoly, a Uruguayan pride that conquered the world with talent and genius. We're not wrong. "

"In this last decade of experience in airport management, Corporate America, a member of South Gate, built several airports. In Argentina, we opened the Cordoba, Bariloche, Iguazu, Rio Gallegos, the airport and the first stage of the Ezeiza International Airport, among others. In Ecuador, we build the new terminal in Guayaquil. In Armenia, the new airport in Yerevan.
"Several of them have won international awards. Each with his personality, his character, his beauty. But let me tell you, Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, with all humility, none of those airports, and others we have visited different parts of the world, equal in beauty to it that we built. "With these words, gave Eduardo Eurnekian inaugurated the airport.
Finally, Eurnekian emphasized: "Mr. President, a final recognition for his country, this country is also ours, we have received so generously.

"With humility I say that great country, one whose government is able to continue the work started by an earlier different sign!
"How easy, simple, and enjoyable, we have found work with such greatness, commitment and patriotism of the various governments. Thank you, thank you very much "
The ceremony was attended by officials and local government authorities, as well as major employers in this country and Argentina, among which highlighted the Minister of National Defense, Dr. Gonzalo Fernandez, the National Director of Civil Aviation and Aviation Infrastructure, Brig . General Daniel Olmedo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Peter Vazramela, the President of South Gate, Mr. Martin Eurnekian, former President of the Republic, Dr. Julio Maria Sanguinetti, former President of the Republic, Dr. Luis Alberto Lacalle, former President of the Republic, Dr. Jorge Battle. Among the Argentine businessmen who traveled to the other side, were Ernesto Gutierrez, President of Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, William Franks, President of Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Carlos de la Vega, President of the Argentina Chamber of Commerce, Santiago Soldati Amadeo Riva, Carlos and Diego Avila, among others.
America Corporation is a holding company of Argentine capital with a strong presence in airports around the world. Uruguay is also in the granting of Laguna del Sauce (Punta del Este), Argentina manages 33 airports as part of Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 and also has the administration of Neuquén and Bahía Blanca. It also manages the international airports of Guayaquil (Ecuador) and Zvartnots (Armenia).
The new airport building was designed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Vinoly, author of elegant buildings on several continents.
The total area is 45,000 square meters, divided into two main levels: the ground floor for passengers arriving and the first floor for the games. It also has a large terrace, and with 8 gates simultaneous use remote and fixed for shipment, plus 4 fixed bridges for disembarkation of passengers.
The airport has 4 sleeves telescopic and 44 check-in positions equipped with CUTE (interchangeable counter system). The ground floor has 3 baggage claim belts, 24 immigration counters (12 in arrivals and 12 games), 1,200 vehicle parking spaces, twice the current, and 100,000 square feet of new trading platform.
The new air station is able to handle more than 150 percent of the current passenger volume, which in 2008 was 1,236,000. This means that when the new building begins to operate normally provide a level of service IATA A.

The new Carrasco International Airport is the perfect synthesis of technology, safety, design and comfort, strategically positioning itself as one of the most important Mercosur HUBs.