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Iberia backs out of Air Europa purchase

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Old Dec 15, 2021, 1:59 am
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Iberia backs out of Air Europa purchase

This morning’s headlines indicate that IAG / Iberia are willing to pay the $40 million indemnity clause for backing out of their agreed purchase of Air Europa.

Iberia had already cut the purchase price by 50%, which AE agreed to, but now it seems they just can’t rationalize the purchase of another low-cost, no-service airline. They already have Level and Iberia Express.

Reports are that Air Europa has already burned through the 475 million euros provided by the Spanish State’s “Covid rescue” fund, 73% of that sum just for operating expenses.
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Old Dec 16, 2021, 8:13 am
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Originally Posted by spainflyer

Iberia had already cut the purchase price by 50%, which AE agreed to, but now it seems they just can’t rationalize the purchase of another low-cost, no-service airline. They already have Level and Iberia Express.
Correcting it for you

They already have Iberia Mainline, Level and Iberia Express.
I think this may also play a role: https://www.majorcadailybulletin.com...-brussels.html
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Old Dec 16, 2021, 2:00 pm
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Apparently, IAG even pays 75m, i.e. 35m more: https://www.reuters.com/business/aer...ns-2021-12-16/

This premium seem to be sort of an option price, to keep the door open. I don’t know, what a new deal could look like. Perhaps some sort of code share agreement on the Latam routes served by only one of them.
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Old Dec 18, 2021, 2:23 am
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Correcting it for you
Quote:
They already have Iberia Mainline, Level and Iberia Express.
Nearly correct, TPJ. But don't know about the low cost especially on routes where Iberia has the non-stop monopoly. Have been flying MAD - ORD recently - only Iberia is non-stop. But you pay between 2 and 3 times what you would pay on TAP to travel 3.5 hours longer, with one stop in LIS. Of course, it is TAP, and there's always the chance that you may end up in the Azores. But still, quite a few nice dinners pocketing the price difference...
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Old Dec 20, 2021, 12:33 am
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Would you buy and airline from this CEO (on the left)?

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Old Dec 20, 2021, 4:51 am
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Currently, Valentin Lago is the CEO of Air Europa.

Javier Hidalgo used to be Globalia's CEO (but he resigned earlier this year). He used to be the guy that negotiated the sale of Air Europa to IB/IAG - he also managed some consolidation in the travel-agencies market. Currently, it's Javier's sister, Maria José Hidalgo, Globalia's CEO. Maria José Hidalgo used to be Air Europa's general director.

Juan José Hidalgo (Javier Hidalgo's and Maria José Hidalgo's father) is the owner of Globalia Corporation (which owns Air Europa + more tourism focused business). Currently is Juan José Hidalgo the one who negotiates with Iberia the sale of Air Europa.

---

Yes, I'd buy Air Europa. Iberia is desperate to acquire Air Europa.
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Old Dec 20, 2021, 5:03 am
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Originally Posted by tobsw

---

Yes, I'd buy Air Europa. Iberia is desperate to acquire Air Europa.
I don't think IB is desperate to buy Air Europa.

They are rather keen to have a monopoly on Spain <--> Latin America, but that monopoly is less valuable during a pandemic...
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Old Dec 20, 2021, 5:27 am
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Originally Posted by craigthemif
I don't think IB is desperate to buy Air Europa.

They are rather keen to have a monopoly on Spain <--> Latin America, but that monopoly is less valuable during a pandemic...
IB wants to get rid of its main competitor - the only way possible is by acquisition. 100% ownership failed dramatically. Let's see whether they manage to convince the EC a 49% ownership.
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Old Dec 20, 2021, 5:29 am
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Originally Posted by tobsw
IB wants to get rid of its main competitor - the only way possible is by acquisition. 100% ownership failed dramatically. Let's see whether they manage to convince the EC a 49% ownership.
Competitors also sometimes go bankrupt and shut down of their own accord... See dozens of European airlines who tried to compete with a dominant flag carrier...
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Old Dec 20, 2021, 10:29 am
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Originally Posted by craigthemif
Competitors also sometimes go bankrupt and shut down of their own accord... See dozens of European airlines who tried to compete with a dominant flag carrier...
Or who WERE the dominant flag carrier: Olympic, Sabena, Alitalia, Swissair...
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Old Dec 20, 2021, 11:34 am
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Originally Posted by spainflyer
Or who WERE the dominant flag carrier: Olympic, Sabena, Alitalia, Swissair...
Those all revived in a new form.

The Air Berlins, Norwegians, Spanairs, etc. just shut down...
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Old Dec 20, 2021, 12:10 pm
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Originally Posted by craigthemif
Those all revived in a new form.
Alitalia and Swissair, yes. But Olympic and Sabena? Or is that Brussels Airlines? and I hadn't heard: Are the Germans supplying an endless quantity of money for the Greeks to "operate" a national airline? How do I book?
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Old Dec 20, 2021, 2:47 pm
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Originally Posted by craigthemif
Those all revived in a new form.
Malev, Interflug, ...?
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Old Dec 20, 2021, 5:34 pm
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Originally Posted by spainflyer
Alitalia and Swissair, yes. But Olympic and Sabena? Or is that Brussels Airlines? and I hadn't heard: Are the Germans supplying an endless quantity of money for the Greeks to "operate" a national airline? How do I book?
Olympic was merged into Aegean. Sabena is now Brussels. (it was SN Brussels for awhile)
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Old Dec 21, 2021, 4:26 am
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Originally Posted by craigthemif
Competitors also sometimes go bankrupt and shut down of their own accord... See dozens of European airlines who tried to compete with a dominant flag carrier...
We know UX was a profitable business pre-COVID-19. We also know that UX, slowly but steadily, ate IB's MAD market-share, both domestic and LATAM.
-In 2009, IB carried 22.8M PAX to/from MAD. UX 4,4 M PAX to/from MAD.
-In 2019, IB carried 26.2M PAX to/from MAD. UX 10M PAX to/from MAD.

We also know that IB was happy to pay 1 BILLION EURO to acquire UX in 2019.

We also know that IB is pumping now 75 MILLION EURO in UX. That cash is not going to the owners, it's going into UX cash-balance. We also know Spanish Gov won't let UX fail.

We also know that in the next few weeks IB and UX will make public a new acquisition agreement, likely to be only 49% instead of full acquisition. We also know Luis Gallego said the acquisition is strategic for IB, MAD and Spain in general.
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