Hungary to pick airport bidders, decide on Malev

Bidders in the second round for Budapest Airport will have until November 2 to make final, binding offers, APV spokesman Peter Oravecz said. The sale of Budapest Airport is expected to be Hungary's largest privatisation deal this year and has drawn extensive political attention.

In the case of Malev, the APV will decide whether to sell the airline to Airbridge, a consortium backed by Russian airline KrasAir, begin talks with a consortium of Malev's former managers or to cancel the deal.

In the case of Budapest Airport, the APV will select bidders from among the following nine investors who put in indicative bids:

-- A consortium of Spain's Abertis Group, Ontario Teacher's Pension Plan and TBI

-- The UK's BAA International Holdings

-- Copenhagen Airports A/S

-- A consortium of Germany's Fraport AG and Deutsche Bank AG

-- A consortium of Italy's Aeroporto di Venezia Marco Polo S.p., OTP Bank and MOL and TriGranit

-- Macquarie Airports Holdings Ltd

-- A consortium of Ferrovial Infraestructuras SA and Goldman Sachs International

-- A consortium of Germany's Hochtief AirPort GmbH and Hochtief AirPort Capital GmbH.

-- Turkey's Tav Tepe Akfe Ventures.

Source: Reuters