Airport, Baltic, Business, Economics, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Markets and Companies, Transport

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Thursday, 28.03.2024, 14:49

Latvia ready to sell part of airBaltic's shares to Lithuania and Estonia

BC, Vilnius, 18.06.2015.Print version
Latvian TM Anrijs Matiss said Wednesday that joint airlines of the three Baltic States could be created by taking Latvia's airBaltic as the basis, while Lithuania and Estonia would buy part of the airline's shares, reported LETA/ELTA.

According to the Latvian minister, the governments of Lithuania and Estonia are interested in a possibility to merge their aviation sectors, while Riga is ready to sell part of airBaltic's shares to the Baltic governments or private investors.


Latvia currently owns 99.8% of the airline's shares.


"After the establishment of an airline owned by all three Baltic States, a controlling block of shares should remain in the EU member states. Therefore, more than 50% of shares should be owned by subjects from the EU countries," Matiss said in Riga.


Lithuanian TM Rimantas Sinkevicius, meanwhile, says that the idea of creating a joint Baltic airline is worth considering, however, is hardly likely to happen because Lithuania's share in such a company would be too small and would not allow directing as many flights through Lithuanian airports as possible. According to the minister, Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn could promote flights to the Baltics by using marketing tools.






Search site