uk firms buy amadeus

The plot continues to thicken. I dont know if this is good or bad. Amedeus is a major shareholder in tvl.

UK firms buy Amadeus

Amadeus has agreed to be bought out by UK private equity firms BC Partners and Cinven in a deal worth EUR4.35 billion ($7.98 billion).


The announcement ends months of speculation over the future of the Spanish GDS company of which Air France, Iberia and Lufthansa are majority shareholders.

The offer price, EUR7.35 ($11.95) per share, represented a small premium over the latest trading level before the shares were suspended on the Madrid stock exchange yesterday.

However, the shares have climbed more than 40 per cent since last August, when the airline owners reported they had been approached by a number of private equity groups.

Amadeus’ board of directors have advised shareholders to accept the offer which was recently cleared by EU, US and Spanish competition authorities.

The company would be delisted and managed by WAM, a company set up by the airlines and the equity groups for that purpose.

The deal will be one of Europe’s largest leveraged buy-outs.


2 June 2005