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The state will try to sell a 25.5% stake in Siberian airlines again

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  • The state will try to sell a 25.5% stake in Siberian airlines again

    Agency WPS
    The Russian Business Monitor (Russia)
    September 8, 2004, Wednesday

    THE STATE WILL TRY TO SELL A 25.5% STAKE IN SIBERIAN AIRLINES AGAIN


    The state will make another try to sell Siberian Airlines. The
    blocking interest in the company is included into the additional
    plan of privatization for 2004. Experts say that the stake may be
    interesting primarily for managers of Siberian Airlines and large
    greenmailers and estimate it at $20-30 million.

    Siberian Airlines is Russia's second largest air company after
    Aeroflot. In 2003, it transported 3.4 million passengers. Siberian
    Airlines operates 34 Tu-154 airplanes, 12 IL-86s, two Tu-204s and
    two Airbus-310s. Siberian Airlines has controlling interest in the
    Armenian air company Armavia that operates four A320 airliners. In
    2003, revenue of Siberian Airlines according to international
    standards amounted to about $370 million and net profit amounted
    to $1 million. Russian Federal Property Fund has 25.5% of company's
    shares and 56.8% belong to Natalia Fileva, wife and senior deputy of
    company's General Director Vladislav Filev.

    Experts say that management of Siberian Airlines is the main candidate
    for the stake. Michael Boboshko, director of the analytical department
    of Sovlink company, says that Western investors will hardly risk
    investing in a rather closed company like Siberian Airlines. Russian
    investors will not participate in the auction because they are
    interested in establishment of control. Natalia Zagvozdina from
    Renaissance Capital also says that given an owner of controlling
    interest other air companies will hardly be interested in a blocking
    stake. A source in Aeroflot states, "Business of Siberian Airlines
    is stringently controlled by the management and I do not think that
    acquisition of a blocking stake will be interesting for Aeroflot." Last
    week it was reported that Aeroflot proposed the Economic Development
    and Trade Ministry to reassign state-owned shares in regional air
    companies to Aeroflot in exchange for increase of the state interest
    in Aeroflot. A spokesperson for Aeroflot refused to say if Siberian
    Airlines was among the candidates for takeover.

    Boboshko from Sovlink estimates 25.5% of Siberian Airlines shares
    at $30 million. Roman Trotsenko, Chair of the Board of Directors of
    Industrial Development investment group, says that debts of Siberian
    Airlines amount to about $200 million and the state-owned stake may
    cost $20 million.

    Source: Vedomosti, September 07, 2004
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