AENA preparing for London Luton airport takeover -report | Reuters
LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - Spanish airport operator AENA is planning to take over London Luton Airport from infrastructure group Abertis, Britain's Sunday Times newspaper reported.
AENA, which currently holds a 10 percent stake in the airport, has exercised its right to bid for Abertis' 90 percent holding, it said on Sunday, citing a story from infrastructure newswire Infranews.
A spokesman for AENA declined to comment on the report while Abertis could not be reached for immediate comment.
Under the terms of the ownership pact AENA has first refusal over Abertis' holding, giving it the right to make a bid before any other party, according to the newspaper.
It saw off a rival bid from Australian bank Macquarie, the newspaper reported.
Abertis raised the prospect of selling its airports division earlier this year to focus on toll roads on telecommunications.
London Luton, Britain's fifth largest airport by passenger numbers and home of FTSE 100 airline easyJet, is considered the "jewel" in its portfolio of 29 airports.