APV said that after examining and evaluating the bids, it will begin talks with the investor that made the overall best bid. The agency added that in line with previous practice, it will not reveal any details of the talks, but will give a full briefing on the entire process after a winner has been announced.
Russian airline KrasAir, in cooperation with investment group Airbridge Rt, confirmed it is maintaining its interest in the acquisition of 99.95% of Malev, and submitted its bid to APV by the Tuesday deadline. KrasAir emphasized the growth potential of Malev, given the central position of Budapest in the region, and the possibility to increase passenger traffic, especially from Russia and the CIS states to the EU. KrasAir was also among the bidders during the previous attempt to sell Malev. KrasAir is Russia's fourth biggest airline.
Aviation Solution, a consortium of Hungarian investors, has also confirmed its bid for Malev. Consortium representative Ferenc Kovacs declined to name the members of the consortium, however. Aviation was also among the bidders in the previous round of privatization.
