EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Transport

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Thursday, 22.05.2025, 06:11

SAS offers to sell its airBaltic share

Alla Petrova, BC, Riga, 17.10.2008.Print version
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is prepared to sell its 47.2% share of the Latvian national airline Air Baltic Corporation (airBaltic), and now talks are under way between SAS and Latvia regarding the proposed buyout, the Transport Minister Ainars Slesers (Latvia’s First Party/Latvia’s Way) said in an interview on the LNT television this morning.

airBaltic CEO Bertolt Flick said earlier that the announcement of SAS regarding the sale of its airBaltic shares will not change the growth and development strategy of airBaltic.

 

SAS had on several occasions inquired about privatization of the state-owned majority interest in airBaltic. However Slesers said that he would not support airBaltic privatization as eventually it would not be in Latvia’s interest. Slesers also said that the airline’s development is very successful at the moment.

 

airBaltic’s passenger turnover grew 40% in 2007 and totalled more than 2 million passengers. Each year airBaltic launches direct flights from Riga Airport to new destinations, at the moment airBaltic offers direct flights to more than forty destinations.

 

52.6% of airBaltic shares belong to the state of Latvia, and another 47.2% to SAS.





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