GMR, Reliance may bid for Prague International Airport
26 Jul 2008
Prague: Indian infrastructure companies, GMR Group and Reliance Airport Developers Ltd, are in the running for the purchase of state-owned Letiste Praha AS, or Prague International Airport in Czechoslovakia, its finance ministry said Friday.
The Czech government has launched a tender to choose an advisor for the sale. The finance ministry, which handles privatization on the government's behalf, is seeking to sell 100 per cent of the airport by early 2009.
Preliminary bids for the advisor are due by 29 Aug, the ministry said. In September, the ministry will choose the five best preliminary bidders and ask them to submit formal and binding bids.
Earlier this week, Prague International Airport said its first-half traffic rose 6.3% year-on-year to 5.93 million passengers, following the record 12.5 million passengers using the airport in 2007.
Industry analysts estimate that the government may earn as much as euro 3.8 billion from its sale.
Among others, Aeroports de Paris, a major French airport authority has also said it may bid for the airport.