Together with AXA Private Equity, airport operator AENA Group (Spanish Airports and Air Navigation) announced that it will be acquiring London Luton Airport for USD 599 million. The said airport is currently owned and operated by TBI Limited. The buyout consortium agreed that AENA will hold a 51% stake while AXA will get the remaining 49% for the said concession. London Luton currently ranks fifth in the UK in terms of the number of passengers it services.
The airport buy will be AENA's first step in firming up its marketing strategy. Currently the largest operator in the world, AENA intends to fill its portfolio with airports where it has management control. Their purchase of London Luton will be carried out through the sale of its minority stakes in various international airports as well as through its existing credit lines. In the first year after the acquisition, AENA said it expects London Luton to increase its earnings before taxes, interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or EBITDA by as much as EUR 46 million.
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