Czechs reject Aeroflot interest in CSA

Air France KLM left among remaining bidders

The Czech government has rejected bids by Aeroflot to buy a 91.5% stake in CSA Czech Airlines.

It gave no reason for rejecting Aeroflot and another company, Odien as potential buyers.

Their withdrawal leaves Air France KLM and a Unimex/Travel Service consortium as the only bidders for CSA.

The Czechs will now ask AF KLM and the consortium to submit their bids by the end of June.

A statement by Aeroflot said its decision to tender for the Czech carrier had been driven "solely by commercial considerations."

Aeroflot is under the management of a new ceo Vitaly Savelyev, who announced his business plan earlier this month as developing strategies to ensure the airline's growth and competitiveness until 2015. 

The airline said there were "considerable risks" in its bid for CSA which would have entailed "serious financial obligations."

It said there have been remarks by Czech politicians about Aeroflot's safety standards and it being a security threat to the Czech Republic.

Aeroflot said it would have been "inappropriate" if the Czech government had based its decision on such remarks.

It said it would continue to co-operate with CSA on existing agreements.

www.airfrance.com   www.aeroflot.ru/eng   www.czechairlines.co.uk