Ryanair could purchase stake in Palma airport

Palma.—European low-cost airline Ryanair has confirmed that it is  interested in participating in the privatisation of Spanish airport operator AENA, of which the government wants to sell a minority stake, marketing head Peter Bellew said yesterday.
“We think they should sell out 100 percent of AENA, but we are interested in the whole process,” Bellew said, reiterating earlier comments made to Spanish reporters before a presentation in Madrid.
Ryanair is one of AENA’s biggest customers, along with IAG , the owner of British Airways and Spanish carriers Iberia and Vueling.
The Spanish government said last week it wanted to sell up to 49 percent of heavily indebted  AENA, the world’s biggest airports operator valued at around 16 billion euros.
It plans to sell 28 percent of AENA, which owns 46 airports at home and also has international interests, in a public offering on the Spanish stock exchange and auction an additional 21 percent to long-term investors, such as financial institutions or companies like Ryanair.