Consortium led by government makes revised offer for Budapest airport

A consortium led by the Hungarian government has announced its intention to acquire Budapest Airport and has submitted a revised non-binding offer to buy the airport, its operator AviAlliance GmbH said on Wednesday. “The shareholders did not initiate the purchase offer. In the interest of our fellow shareholders, we are nevertheless obliged to review the offer,” AviAlliance, which holds a 55.44% stake in the airport, said in a reply to Reuters questions. AviAlliance did not confirm a report by local website 24.hu that said Hungary has offered E4.44b for the airport. The government was not immediately reachable for comment. PM Viktor Orban’s government earlier this year expressed its interest in buying Hungary’s main international airport, and Orban said this month that the government could close the purchase “any minute now.” Orban had said earlier he wants to see the airport in domestic hands, but its owners have expressed no interest in selling it.<br/>