Non-EU airline drops Sarajevo base plan, Aegean enters

Aegean to sell Romania’s Animawings to tour operator

A possible takeover of an Aegean Airlines-held controlling stake in Animawings (A2, Bucharest Henri Coanda) by Christian Tour Holding, parent entity of Bucharest-based tour operator Christian Tour, is being investigated by Romania’s Competition Council (Consiliul Concurenţei), the competition regulator revealed.

The council “is analysing the transaction through which Christian Tour Holding S.A. intends to take over Anima Wings Aviation S.A.,” it said of the planned acquisition of the 51% stake. “Christian Tour Group, also known in the market as Memento Group, is active mainly in the market of providing tourist services. Anima Wings is a company specialised in charter flights for tour operators in Romania.”

According to the provisions of Romania’s Competition Law, the authority must authorise the move “in order to establish compatibility with a normal competitive environment and will issue a decision within the terms provided by law.” It invited “any comments and points of view” on the subject within 20 days of the announcement, which was posted on December 4.

The proposed takeover comes two years after Aegean Airlines completed its...

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Aegean Airlines mulls buying back Greek gov’t warrants

Aegean Airlines (A3, Athens) has announced that the Greek government notified it of its intention to exercise the rights granted by all of the warrants it holds for the company’s shares, which it received in 2021 as part of the flag carrier’s Covid bailout.

Aegean said in a statement released on Monday, November 6 that Athens had told it of its intention on November 3.

As ch-aviation reported at the time, the European Commission approved in December 2020 a Greek state grant of EUR120 million euros (then USD146 million) to the privately owned airline, aimed at compensating part of the losses caused by the pandemic that year.

Two prerequisites for the disbursement were later added - that the private shareholders must participate in a share capital increase to raise at least EUR60 million (USD73 million at the time), which was duly completed in June 2021, and the obligation for the company to issue without consideration warrants to the state, giving the right to buy the company’s shares at a price equal to...

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