2 Eidiseis apo to reuters simera, h DBA tha sigxoneuthi me tin Gexx, thelei kai tin OA, mallon gia Pan-European carrier tous blepo tous Germanous!
Greece expects to receive binding bids for national flag carrier Olympic Airlines next month, Transport Minister Michael Liapis said on Wednesday.
"We are now in the second phase and binding bids will be submitted in a month and a half," he said in a statement.
Last week Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis said the government had received several bids for the loss-making carrier while a ministry source said at least four companies have tabled non-binding offers.
Greek privately owned Aegean Airlines has confirmed putting in a bid.
The airline likes to merge the two airlines scheduled operations and keep charters seperate unter the Aegean brand. It is said that the company wants Olympic free from depths and its workforse to accept Aegean's work rules and pay.
The Handelsblatt newspaper reported German budget carrier DBA is also among the interested parties. Intro GMBH (DBA's holding company) likes a similar deal as with British Airways, the company likes to acquire Olympic for a nominal fee and sees profits in three years.
Greece, which is targeting privatization revenues of about EUR1.6 billion (USD$2.08 billion) this year to pay down public debt, launched a fresh attempt to privatize Olympic and its ground handling and technical services in December.
The successor to debt-laden Olympic Airways faces a European Commission angered over nearly EUR200 million in unrecovered government aid.
"I believe it is possible to find a reliable buyer... from the bids that have been submitted," Liapis said, reiterating that the privatization was the last chance of survival for the airline.
Lazard, National Bank, Emporiki Investment Bank and Alpha Finance are advising on the Olympic sale.
(Reuters)
German discount airlines DBA and Germania Express (Gexx) plan to merge to create Germany's third-largest carrier after Lufthansa and Air Berlin, company sources said on Wednesday.
Gexx owner Hinrich Bischoff said last Friday that the two budget carriers were considering closer cooperation that could include a merger.
DBA is owned by Hans Rudolf Woehrl, who in November named Gexx as a possible partner airline for the former German unit of British Airways.
A DBA spokesman declined to comment, saying only that a press conference was planned this week. Germania was not immediately available for comment.
(Reuters)