Air Europa would be ‘able to continue’ without IAG investment

Air Europa remains confident that IAG can close its acquisition of the company within the agreed timeframe, but the Spanish carrier could continue to operate should the deal fail to complete, its aircraft fleet manager Xisca Mateu Brunet has indicated. During a panel session at the ISTAT EMEA conference in Edinburgh on 5 October, Brunet said that Air Europa remained “optimistic” that its acquisition by IAG could be completed within the 12 to 24 month timeframe agreed when the tie-up was announced in November 2019. While the pandemic has complicated and delayed the process, she says that, based on the latest developments, the deal should be completed no later than the beginning of December, subject to EU approval. “We are optimistic. We see that there is a lot of work both parties to make that happen. Obviously the EU has the last say on that,” she says. But should something happen that curtails the deal, Brunet says the Madrid-based carrier could continue operations. “What would happen if IAG doesn’t succeed? Well, we think that we are able to continue, that we are capable to continue in the market,” she says.<br/>