Fusiones y Adquisiciones

🏨 Sichuan Airlines to launch direct route from Chengdu to Madrid on April 27 with four weekly flights using Airbus A330 for 305 passengers. Madrid-Barajas becomes a hub for Chinese airlines' routes between Asia and America. Capital Airlines adds fourth weekly frequency between Madrid and Hangzhou from June 22 to August 24. Madrid now has 8 destinations in China, 30 weekly frequencies, operated by six airlines, seeking to attract Asian tourists through Madrid's 'Plan Asia'. Barcelona-El Prat maintains connectivity with China without new route announcements.

🏢 World2Meet (W2M), owned by Iberostar, acquired Abramar Viajes, a corporate travel agency based in Vigo, founded in 1998. Abramar, part of Lufthansa City Center, operates from a 350m² central office and a 160m² branch in Porriño, Pontevedra. This acquisition expands Úbico's network, led by Javier Longarte, to beyond 22 offices after its launch in March 2021. W2M also recently bought Spatravel, a vacation agency in Málaga, joining Azulmarino's near 200 sales points network.

✈ Polonia, aiming to boost its position in the aviation sector, is considering purchasing shares of European aerospace consortium Airbus. Currently, Airbus operates 4 factories in Poland with 800 employees. The country's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a pro-European leader, hosted Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury to potentially negotiate aircraft sales and other matters. Discussions may include Poland acquiring 2-4 A330 MRTT refueling aircraft, 6-8 A400M transport aircraft made in Sevilla, and 20 H145 helicopters. Poland might negotiate for 1-2% of Airbus' capital, while some in Warsaw suggest up to 5%.

📷 In a new video, Barcelona a pie de Calle reveals over 30 homeless individuals' plight at Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport. The content creator's 20-minute footage includes interviews with mostly English-speaking homeless individuals, with one having stayed at the airport for 16 years. Authorities, including Aena and the local council, allegedly downplay the issue to protect the airport's image. Homeless people sleep in chairs, corridors, and corners, lacking access to basic services.

✈ Lufthansa, formerly linked to Condor, used to offer low-cost feeder flights to the Frankfurt-based airline. During the pandemic, both airlines survived on state aid. On January 15, the EU instructed Lufthansa not to raise prices for Condor, citing competition concerns. Lufthansa defies the EU, arguing there's no legal basis for such an order, a stance backed by the German competition authority, and highlights Condor's flight reorganization as well as partnerships with Delta and Singapore Airlines operating from Frankfurt.

🛥 Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands, announced a potential multimillion-dollar investment by the regional government and local entrepreneurs into Naviera Armas. The shipping company is currently mainly owned by investment funds led by JP Morgan, with the Armas family holding only 6%. This move aims to bolster the strategic maritime transport essential for the Canary Islands' economic development, with particular focus on improving connections for La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. The intention to sell Naviera Armas by investment funds was publicized a year ago, with Balearia expressing interest, but no deal was finalized. The regional government also plans to improve transport on El Hierro, where Fred Olsen and Armas operate.

✈ Ávoris partners with Air Europa to expand in Portugal, offering free flights (excluding taxes) from Lisbon, Porto, and Vigo to Madrid. Travelplan's program features destinations like Havana, Cancun, and Punta Cana for travel between May and October. This move counters rival W2M's operations and aims to top its €200 million Portuguese business by over 20% in 2025.

📍 Lufthansa values Air Europa at €800 million, eyeing 25% of its shares, currently owned by the Hidalgo family. In contrast, IAG previously valued Air Europa at €650 million. In early 2019, IAG's offer to buy Air Europa was €1 billion, but this was lowered post-pandemic and eventually dropped due to EU Commission hurdles. Bidders have until the end of this week to submit non-binding offers. Lufthansa has also proposed supplying Air Europa with up to 10 Boeing 787s, adding to their existing fleet of around 25 of this model. Lufthansa and Air Europa have agreed on codesharing to assess operational efficiency. The Hidalgo family aims to sell 25% of Air Europa to help repay part of the €475 million rescue debt, with Lufthansa's potential €200 million investment earmarked for this purpose.

🏠 Azulmarino acquires Spatravel in San Pedro de Alcántara, Andalucía, with the latter's business volume exceeding €3 million. Azulmarino, part of World2Meet (W2M), has established a network of about 200 sales points, including 194 stores by the end of 2024—162 owned (136 Azulmarino, 19 Grand Azulmarino, 5 Viajes Cibeles, 2 The Sphere) and 29 Azulmarino franchises, aiming for around 100 offices in three years.

🚀 Lufthansa aims to acquire a 25% stake in Air Europa, providing a €240 million boost to the Hidalgo group. This investment will help Air Europa repay €240 million of the €475 million rescue funds. The Hidalgos originally intended to sell only 20% but have adjusted their position. Lufthansa's agreement includes a wet lease for flights between Brussels and New York. Advised by Goldman Sachs, Lufthansa also negotiates to supply Air Europa with ten 787s to enhance revenue. Air Europa seeks to finalize shareholder configurations this week, with the current proposal from Air France-KLM falling short of Lufthansa's.