France’s ADP to buy additional stake in Turkey’s TAV Airports for $160 million, eyeing expansion in new markets

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s Akfen has said it signed an agreement on June 9 to sell its remaining 8.12 percent stake in TAV Airports to France’s Aeroports de Paris (ADP) for $160 million. 

The French company plans to expand into new markets in the Middle East, Central Asia, Europe and Africa as well as new areas within Turkey along with TAV, according to company representatives. 

After the stakes are transferred to ADP, its stake in Turkish airport operator TAV Airports will increase to 46 percent.

ADP, operator of the Charles De Gaulle and Orly airports in the Paris region, is already TAV Airports’ largest shareholder with a 38 percent stake. 

The Turkey-based Akfen Holding, which is the second largest shareholder in TAV Airports after ADP, plans to use the revenue from the stake sale to contribute to a 6.7 billion liras ($1.9 billion) investment program in Turkey focused on hospitals and energy projects, it said in a statement to the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP). 

Akfen Holding and TAV Airports Chair said TAV Airports will remain a Turkish company, with its listing in Istanbul, in a separate written statement. 

Tepe Construction is the third largest shareholder in TAV Airports, followed by Sera Yapı. 

Tepe and Sera expressed support for the transaction, ADP said.

ADP expects the transaction to complete during the summer of 2017, after which it will fully consolidates TAV Airports in its financial statements.

The transaction values TAV Airports’ equity at around $2 billion or 19.2 Turkish liras per share, Reuters reported. 

TAV Airports shares were up 3.2 percent early June 9, following the respective announcements. 


New markets within scope

ADP executive committee member and TAV Airports board member Antonin Beurrier said the company has been eyeing expansion in new markets in the new era. 

“We will enter new markets in the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe with TAV. We have also seen new opportunities within Turkey,” he said during a press meeting in Istanbul on June 9, as quoted by Reuters. 

ADB executives also noted that they want to invest in Africa, adding that they did not plan to buy Tepe stakes in TAV Airports. 

TAV operates 14 airports in Turkey and around the world, including Istanbul’s Atatürk airport, home base of Turkish Airlines and one of Europe’s busiest airports.

TAV Airports CEO Sani Şener said there would be considerable investment in new markets, adding that TAV was also interested in Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport. 

“We have heard that Malaysia Airports would sell some 30 or 49 percent of stake in Sabiha Gökçen Airport. We will make our calculations, but we will not proceed if the resulting prices are too high,” he told Reuters. 

TAV Airports was recently selected by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia in partnership with Al Rajhi Holding Group to operate Yanbu, Qassim and Hail international airports for 30 years. 

The operating agreement of these airports was signed between the consortium and the GACA on June 8, said the company in a separate written statement to the KAP early on June 9. 

Şener said the company would likely meet some 20 percent of their total investment for these airports by their own equity capital and use loans from the Saudi banks for the rest, adding that the planned total investment was around $400 million.