# Hungary looking for ‘friendly’ co-investor to acquire Budapest Airport Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2023-06-02 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Hungary seeks 'friendly' co-investor for Budapest Meta Description: Hungary's government is looking for a 'friendly' co-investor to acquire and operate Budapest Airport, with plans to close the deal by 2023. URL: https://financedigest.com/hungary-looking-for-friendly-co-investor-to-acquire-budapest-airporthtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2023-06-02t015038z2lynxmpej501dxrtroptp4hungary-airport-1736813940075-compressed.jpg) # Hungary looking for ‘friendly’ co-investor to acquire Budapest Airport BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungary’s government is looking for a “friendly” co-investor to acquire Budapest Airport and to then also operate the airport, Economic Development Minister Marton Nagy said on Thursday. Nagy said the government was seeking a majority stake but the issue was open to negotiation. He said the acquisition could be closed by the end of 2023, with the government in talks with several airport operators, one of them in Qatar. Since Prime Minister Viktor Orban took power in 2010, his [government has boosted Hungarian ownership in energy](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-government-to-cap-energy-bills-for-businesses-bloomberg.html "UK government to cap energy bills for businesses – Bloomberg"), banking, telecoms and the media, and has been planning to buy the airport for years. In 2021 Orban’s government submitted a non-binding [offer to buy](https://www.financedigest.com/south-londoners-offered-help-to-buy-in-croydon.html "South Londoners Offered Help To Buy In Croydon") the airport but later the process was halted. The [government revived the idea](https://www.financedigest.com/reining-in-the-wild-horse-governing-an-idea.html "Reining in the Wild Horse: Governing an idea") in February 2023, when Nagy was put in charge of holding talks about the acquisition. “The state would like to buy the airport together with a friendly co-investor, who could also be able to operate the airport,” Nagy told a briefing. The biggest shareholder in Budapest Airport, with 55.44%, is AviAlliance GmbH, formerly Hochtief AirPort GmbH, owned by Canada’s Public [Sector Pension Investment](https://www.financedigest.com/conocophillips-plans-1-1-billion-investment-as-norway-oil-sector-heats-up.html "ConocoPhillips plans .1 billion investment as Norway oil sector heats up") Board (PSP Investments). AviAlliance said on Thursday that the Hungarian “government recently communicated its continuing interest in taking over the airport.” Even though the shareholders did not initiate the purchase, AviAlliance and its co-shareholders are obliged to [consider any purchase offers in the interest of their funds,”](https://www.financedigest.com/eu-considers-more-funds-for-eastern-states-in-bid-for-deal-on-russia-oil-ban.html "EU considers more funds for eastern states in bid for deal on Russia oil ban") AviAlliance said in an emailed reply to Reuters questions, adding it was a long-term oriented investor in the airport. On Wednesday, Budapest Airport said it posted a net profit of 76.6 million euros on net [sales](https://www.financedigest.com/mexicos-femsa-launches-second-3-billion-euro-sale-of-heineken-shares.html "Mexico’s FEMSA launches second 3 billion euro sale of Heineken shares") revenues of 277.7 million euros in 2022, after two years of big losses amid the pandemic. It said it would not pay dividends to its shareholders. (Reporting by Gergely Szakacs and Krisztina Than; Editing by Ros Russell and Frances Kerry) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---