Souter in bid to buy Edinburgh airport

Sir Brian Souter, the founder of Stagecoach, is considering joining a consortium of Scottish investors to buy Edinburgh airport. The Scottish millionaire is thought to be drawing up plans after BAA appointed investment banks Citigroup and BNP Paribas to help sell the airport. The entrepreneur will not make any formal decisions until the sales document is sent out in January. Other parties interested in buying it are 3i; Aeroports de Paris, which owns Charles de Gaulle airport; and GIP.

 

21.11.2011 (Telegraph)

Sir Brian Souter, the founder of Stagecoach, is considering joining a consortium of Scottish investors to buy Edinburgh airport.

The Scottish millionaire is thought to be drawing up plans after the current owner BAA appointed investment banks Citigroup and BNP Paribas to help sell the airport.
A spokesman for Sir Brian said that the entrepreneur will not make any formal decisions until the sales document is sent out in January. However, he said if Sir Brian went ahead with a deal it would through his vehicle, Souter Investments.
Sir Angus Grossart, the chairman of Noble Grossart, an Edinburgh-based investment bank, is thought to be among those who could be approached by Sir Brian.
Five months ago Sir Angus backed Sir Brian’s international consortium to acquire Turkish ferry business, Istanbul Deniz Otobüsleri in a deal worth $861m (£545m).
Inverleith Capital chairman, Ben Thompson, could also be a potential partner. The Edinburgh-based businessman has already expressed an interest in owning the airport.

Other interested parties in Edinburgh Airport are thought to include private equity firm, 3i; Aeroports de Paris, which owns Charles de Gaulle airport; and the Global Infrastructure Partners, owners of Gatwick and City partners.

BAA, the airports operator which is owned by Ferrovial, the Spanish construction group, is being forced to sell Edinburgh by the Competition Commission which in 2009 ruled that it was running a virtual monopoly of British airports.

The watchdog said those already running an airport will be favoured over non-operators. Analysts at the Royal Bank of Scotland have estimated Edinburgh airport has an enterprise value of £457m.

 

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/8902956/Souter-in-bid-to-buy-Edinburgh-airport.html

 

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