Fusiones y Adquisiciones

🌏 Catai partners with Aviatur in Colombia, leveraging Aviatur's 179-office network across 32 cities. This week, Ávoris' director Raúl Serrano led the official launch in Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín. This move aligns with Catai's Latin America expansion, emphasizing excellence and personalized travel. Catai's offerings will be accessible via Aviatur's network and Aviatur Mayorista, enhancing availability across Colombian agencies.

✈ Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, reports first-quarter profits rising from €360 million to €820 million. He warns Aena about potential cuts in Spain, citing limited growth allocated to regions reducing taxes. European short-haul capacity will remain constrained until 2030 due to aircraft delivery delays and airline consolidations. Ryanair aims for 300 million passengers annually by fiscal year 2034. This summer, Ryanair operates over 2,600 routes, including 160 new ones, witnessing strong travel demand.

📈 Meliá Hotels International acquires 50% of Paradisus Salinas Lanzarote from Victoria Hotels & Resorts, preserving its alliance with Bankinter Investment for the next 10 years. Victoria Hotels & Resorts was established in June 2021. Meliá's financial strength, regained by the end of 2024, supports this move. With a 53.75% stake, Meliá aligns this acquisition with its strategic goals for the Canary Islands. The hotel repositioning cost over €125 million, enhancing its luxury tourism appeal.

🗺 Ávoris debuts its travel brand Catai in Italy, following Travelplan and Welcomebeds' entry early this year. Initial operations launch from Rome, Milan, and Venice, aiming to expand to Florence, Turin, and Naples. Products include trips to the Caribbean, Costa Rica, and Spain's Balearic and Canary Islands. Ávoris, focusing on Latin America, recently entered Mexican and Colombian markets, marking Colombia's entry on July 21, with Asia and Africa trips emphasized.

🛩 Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, in May 2025 stated a preference for passengers flying without cabin luggage as it incurs additional costs. The baggage handling requires staff and increases fuel consumption due to extra weight. The fee for this "extra" service is aimed at maintaining low fares through operational efficiency. The debate arises whether airlines benefit more from baggage fees or from reduced costs with lighter, quicker boarding processes. Ryanair emphasizes educating passengers to travel light.

✈ General Electric has advised replacing a microprocessor in Boeing 787 aircraft engines, affecting fuel control and flight safety. This follows an Air India crash en route to London with 242 passengers, where both engines failed for 15 seconds. GE's recommendation indicates that thermal cycles may cause processor failure, suggesting a technical rather than human error during takeoff. The engines restarted but couldn't regain thrust in time due to proximity to the ground.

🛩 Por primera vez in 23 years, Norwegian Airlines will distribute dividends due to record performance. June had the highest passenger volume and occupancy since COVID-19. CEO Geir Karlsen declared 2023 the best year since 2019, with Q2 profits of $124 million, exceeding $100 million expectations. The market responded with a 7.7% rise. Post-crisis, Norwegian operates within Scandinavia and Europe with only Boeing 737s, having ceased long-haul flights.

🏨 Meridia adquiere dos hoteles en Madrid: 230 habitaciones en el antiguo Easyhotel de Atocha y 156 en el Ibis Budget Madrid Aeropuerto. Ambos hoteles, con 102 y 53 plazas de aparcamiento respectivamente, son recientes y bien ubicados cerca de estaciones estratégicas. Esta compra, parte de la quinta inversión de Meridia V, refuerza su presencia en el sector hotelero. Asesores: Uría Menéndez, Ernst & Young, Almar Consulting, Colliers, y Eastdil Secured.

✈ El Gobierno portugués ha aprobado la venta del 49.9% de TAP Air Portugal. Un 44.9% irá a inversores y 5% a trabajadores. El primer ministro, Luís Montenegro, anunció la decisión. Lufthansa, IAG, y Air France-KLM están interesados. Lufthansa planea una planta en Santa Maria da Feira en 2026, creando 700 empleos. TAP fue nacionalizada en 2021 tras recibir 3,200 millones de euros. La venta busca reducir participación estatal sin perder control.

✈️ Air France-KLM is set to increase its stake in SAS from 20% to 60.5%, purchasing shares from Castlelake and Lind Invest. Denmark’s government will retain its 26.4% stake. CEO Anko van der Werff emphasizes the strategic importance of this move for stability and integration, enhancing SAS's position. Final transaction details will depend on SAS's financial results at deal closure, pending regulatory approval.