Portugal opens final talks with Lufthansa and Air France-KLM for TAP privatization

TAP Air Portugal privatization Lufthansa Air France-KLM Portuguese government

The Portuguese government has initiated a final round of negotiations with Air France-KLM and Lufthansa regarding the partial privatization of TAP Air Portugal. This decision follows a report from Parpública, delivered on September 1, which evaluated binding offers submitted by both groups on July 29.

Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro stated that while the proposals differ in content, their overall valuations are very close. Consequently, the government will engage in several weeks of bilateral negotiations with both parties to encourage improved proposals. The ultimate goal is to select a single bidder for a final negotiation phase.

The privatization process involves selling up to 49.9% of TAP's capital, with 5% reserved for employees. The government emphasized that the selection will not rely solely on price but will also consider strategic benefits, such as fleet investment, route development, and the airline's role as a hub. This follows the withdrawal of International Airlines Group (IAG) from the process.

Despite TAP reporting a 99.2 million euro loss in the first half of the year due to fuel costs, officials noted that the airline achieved historically high sales volumes during that period.

Entities

Air France-KLM · António Leitão Amaro · Comboios de Portugal · Fornos de Algodres · Lufthansa · Lufthansa Group · Mangualde · Nelas · Parpública · Portugal · TAP Air Portugal · Turismo Centro de Portugal

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] The project involves Comboios de Portugal (CP) and private operators. www.diarioviseu.pt
[● 2 SOURCES] The total investment for the project is 511,000 euros. www.diarioviseu.pt
[● 2 SOURCES] Turismo Centro de Portugal is financing 70% of the project. www.diarioviseu.pt
[● 2 SOURCES] The project is scheduled for completion in May 2028. www.diarioviseu.pt
[● 2 SOURCES] The municipalities of Nelas, Mangualde, Fornos de Algodres, and Gouveia launched the 'Expresso do Alto Mondego' tourism project. www.diarioviseu.pt
[● 2 SOURCES] One objective is to obtain the Biosphere green tourism certification for the route. www.diarioviseu.pt
[● 2 SOURCES] TAP reported a loss of 99.2 million euros during the first half of the year, attributed to fuel prices. cnnportugal.iol.pt · ominho.pt
[● 6 SOURCES] The Portuguese government is opening final negotiations with both Air France-KLM and Lufthansa regarding the purchase of TAP Air Portugal. cnnportugal.iol.pt · www.euronews.com · ominho.pt · www.jornaldenegocios.pt · rr.pt · +1 more
[● 7 SOURCES] Parpública delivered a report evaluating the binding offers from Air France-KLM and Lufthansa to the Portuguese government on September 1. cnnportugal.iol.pt · www.euronews.com · ominho.pt · www.jornaldenegocios.pt · rr.pt · +2 more
[● 6 SOURCES] The global evaluations of the two competing bids are very similar. cnnportugal.iol.pt · www.euronews.com · ominho.pt · www.jornaldenegocios.pt · rr.pt · +1 more
[● 6 SOURCES] The government intends to conduct several weeks of negotiations with both groups to secure improved proposals before selecting a single bidder for final negotiations. cnnportugal.iol.pt · ominho.pt · www.jornaldenegocios.pt · rr.pt · zpravy.kurzy.cz · +1 more
[DISPUTED] The privatization process involves the sale of up to 49.9% of TAP's capital, with 5% reserved for employees. cnnportugal.iol.pt · www.euronews.com · ominho.pt · lusojornal.com · zpravy.kurzy.cz