Tender for sale of Czech Airlines posted on the web

The Czech Finance Ministry presented a tender on its website Thursday to sell a 91.5 percent state-held stake in the national air carrier Czech Airlines (ČSA). The public tender will consist of two rounds – a qualification round and a second round in which the only criterion will be the offered purchase price. In the first round bidders will have to guarantee that ČSA will retain the status of national air carrier with Prague airport as its home for five years. According to the Finance Ministry bidders from Western Europe, East Asia as well as Russia’s Aeroflot have expressed interest in the airline. The deadline for bids is March 23.