German logistics company Zeitfracht has expressed its interest in acquiring Air Berlin (1991) (Berlin Tegel) in its entirety. Managing Director Wolfram Simon said that he could see potential for growing the business in the cargo sector, reports Handelsblatt.
"While the whole world speaks of the passenger business, we have considered, we look a bit closer at the cargo business," Simon said.
Other contenders still interested in some of Air Berlin's assets are frontrunner Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International), as well as fellow airlines easyJet (London Luton) and leisure carrier Condor (DE, Frankfurt International). The former owner of Air Berlin subsidiary Niki (Austria) (Vienna), Niki Lauda, also seems keen. After some disagreement over confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, German investor Hans Rudolf Wöhrl has decided to stay in the running.
"I'm assuming that we will submit the offer at the beginning of next week," the investor told TV station ARD-Morgenmagazin, adding that his bid for the airline in its entirety would be higher than expected. "It will be a program that goes into the hundreds of millions [of Euro], to be paid in instalments. But even the first instalment that we're willing to pay is very, very high."
Ryanair (FR, Dublin International), however, has withdrawn from the race for Air Berlin, claiming the process has been unfairly skewed to favour Lufthansa.
Bids for the insolvent airline must be received by September 15 with a final decision to be reached by the creditors' committee shortly after. Air Berlin is currently surviving on a EUR150 million state guarantee, which was cleared by the European Commission this week.
