Interjet (AIJ, Toluca) has confirmed holding talks with several unspecified third parties over possible joint ventures which could lead to equity sales.
"Interjet confirms holding talks with potential strategic partners to structure business partnerships, as we already have with international airlines from the USA, Europe, Asia and Latin America, and to explore possible joint ventures, without ruling out any eventual capital investment," it said.
"Apart from established business partnerships that are already common knowledge - Iberia, British Airways, American, LATAM Airlines Group, Alitalia and ANA - All Nippon Airways - Interjet has no formal commitments to any joint ventures or capital investments with any interlocutors."
The comments come after Chairman Miguel Aleman Velasco told Bloomberg last week about the possible sale of a stake to either American Airlines Group or United Continental Holdings.
An LCC, Interjet competes against VivaAerobus (VB, Monterrey Mariano Escobedo) and Volaris (Y4, México City International) in the local Mexican market commanding 17.56% of all weekly capacity behind Aeroméxico (AM, México City International) with 27.64% and Volaris with 21.32%. VivaAerobus is fourth with 10.26%.
In a bid to raise much needed venture capital, Interjet has toyed with the possibility of an IPO. In 2011 it called off a planned USD300 million listing on the Mexican bourse, citing unfavorable market conditions.
