The Portuguese government has relaunched the privatization of the national airline tap, pushed for a long time, to sell 49.9% of its capital, 5% of which will be reserved for employees, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said Thursday.
Among the main assets of TAP are their strategic time spaces for Brazil, African -speaking countries Lus and the United States from its center of Lisbon, which the Portuguese government wishes to preserve and develop. Tap transported 16 million passengers last year and generated a profit of 54 million euros against a record loss of 1.6 billion euros in 2021.
Privatization had already aroused the interest of the three main European air groups, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and IAG (British Airways, Vueling …) that held meetings with the government during the last year.
Concentration
Air France-KLM has reaffirmed its interest, Franco-Strayland airline declared in a statement ready to participate in the process when all the details have been communicated.
IAG, the British Airways mother company, also reiterated that “it is delighted to examine the conditions of Tap’s potential sale and carefully study all the details and conditions of the process as soon as they are available.”
Lufthansa refrained from any comment.
Remember that the European sky is experiencing a strong concentration movement. Air France-KLM recently said that they wanted to participate in the capital of the Swedish SAS of 19.9% (acquired in the summer of 2024) at 60.5% and observes the Air Europa archive. Lufthansa, meanwhile, seized Ita (former alital) after a battle against Air France and 10% Air Baltic.
Source: BFM TV
