State could become minority owner in new natl carrier

Budapest, February 3 (MTI) – The government remains open to talks with any well-capitalised professional or strategic investor seriously interested in establishing a new Hungarian airline, and the Hungarian state could even participate as a minority owner, business daily Napi Gazdasag said on Tuesday, citing the development ministry.

The ministry responded to a query on the chances for launching a national carrier on the third anniversary of the grounding of troubled Hungarian airline Malev.

The ministry said a new Hungarian airline could take a share of transit traffic or offer direct flights to destinations in the Western Balkans, Transylvania, North America or the Far East.

Budapest is geographically well placed to become a hub for air travel, and it has an international airport with unused capacity, it added.

The ministry told the paper that it saw no chance for Liszt Ferenc International Airport to be bought back by the state.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters