Fraport Wins Ljubljana Airport Privatization

FRANKFURT, Germany, September 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Fraport AG and a consortium headed by the Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SDH) have reached agreement for the purchase of Ljubljana Airport (Aerodrom Ljubljana) in the capital city of Slovenia, southeastern Europe. Winning against strong international competition in a closed bidding process on July 4, Fraport was selected by the seller side to participate in exclusive negotiations on the sale of Aerodrom Lubljana d.d., the company that operates the airport.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140905/705334 )

Under the agreement, Fraport AG will pay 177.1 million euros for a 75.5 percent stake in Aerodrom Ljubljana d.d. The acquisition will be financed from current liquid funds. As part of the privatization process, Fraport intends to acquire 100 percent of the Ljubljana airport company and, thus, will submit a takeover bid to the remaining shareholders, in accordance with legal and statutory requirements. In 2013, Ljubljana Airport (IATA Code: LJU) welcomed about 1.3 million passengers, up from 1.2 million in 2012.

Dr. Stefan Schulte, Fraport AG's executive board chairman (CEO), expressed satisfaction with the expansion of the company's international airport portfolio:  "With Ljubljana, we are adding another airport investment with dynamic development potential. The choice for Fraport underscores our position as a leading global airport manager." Dr. Matthias Zieschang, Fraport AG's executive board member for controlling and finance (CFO), added: "Our extensive know-how gained over many decades will enable us to further expand and strengthen Ljubljana's competitive position - a real win-win situation for everyone involved."

Historically, Ljubljana has been a strategic crossroads of trade between the Danube, Alps and Adriatic Sea. Also known as Jože Pučnik Airport, LJU (http://www.lju-airport.si/en/Main) is Slovenia's national air transportation gateway and a vital infrastructure engine for the country's diversified and growing export-driven economy. In 2004 Slovenia joined the European Union (EU) and the euro zone in 2007. LJU reaches a catchment area of some 4 million inhabitants within a 250-kilometer radius, which includes border areas in neighboring Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary. The airport also serves as a hub in the Balkan region.  

Slovenia is a young EU country with a long history and numerous geographic, cultural and historic attractions waiting to be discovered by the rest of the world). As one of Europe's most forested countries, Slovenia offers outstanding natural beauty and endless opportunities for outdoor activities - from the Alps to the Adriatic. Natural treasures include the Triglav National Park and UNESCO Biosphere. The famous Škocjan Caves, one of the largest cave systems in the world, is also a World Heritage Site.  

The city of Ljubljana (http://www.visitljubljana.com) is a fascinating and vibrant European capital that is celebrating the two-thousandth anniversary this year of Emona - a Roman town that once stood on the site of present-day downtown Ljubljana. Even earlier, about 7,000 years ago, the Ljubljana Marshes (once a lake) south of the city were inhabited by "pile dwellers". These people lived in houses resting on wooden piles in the shallow waters and traveled by canoe. Other city attractions include Ljubljana Castle, beautiful Baroque buildings and facades, the huge five-square-kilometer Tivoli Park, as well as numerous arts and culture events held every year.

Print-quality photos of Fraport AG and Frankfurt Airport are available for free downloading via the photo library located in our Press Center on the Fraport Web site. For TV news and information broadcasting purposes only, we also offer free footage material for downloading.

Fraport AG - which ranks among the world's leading companies in the global airport business- offers a full range of integrated airport management services and boasts subsidiaries and investments on five continents, In 2013, the Fraport Group generatedsales of €2.56 billion, EBITDA of €880.2 million and profit of about €236 million. Last year, more than 103 million passengers used airports around the world in which Fraport has a majority stake.

At its Frankfurt Airport (FRA) home base,Fraport welcomed more than 58 million passengersin 2013 and handled some 2.1 million metric tons of cargo (airfreight and airmail). For the current flight timetable, FRA is served by 108 passenger airlines flying to some 295 destinations in 105 countries worldwide.  More than half of FRA's destinations are intercontinental (beyond Europe) - underscoring Frankfurt's role as a leading hub in the global air transportation system. In Europe, FrankfurtAirportranks first in terms of cargo tonnage and is the third-busiest for passenger traffic.   With well over 50 percent of all passengers using Frankfurt as a connecting hub, FRA also has the highest transfer rate among the major European hubs.

Frankfurt Airport City  has become Germany's largest job complex at a single location, employing more than 78,000 people at some 500 companies and organizations directly on site. Almost half of Germany's population lives within a 200-kilometer radius of the FRA intermodal travel hub - the largest airport catchment area in Europe. FRA Airport City also serves as a magnet forother companies located throughout the economically vital Frankfurt/Rhine-Main-Neckarregion. Thanks to synergies associated with the region's dynamicindustries, networked expertise, and outstanding intermodal transportationinfrastructure, FRA's world route network enables Hesse's and Germany's export-oriented businesses to flourish in global growth markets.

Frankfurt Airport meets the increasing needs of the flourishing export-oriented economies of the State of Hesse as well as Germany as a whole, for optimal connections to growth markets around the globe. Likewise, FRA is also a strategic gateway for companies wanting to access the huge European marketplace.  Thus, Frankfurt Airport - which is strategically located in the heart of Europe, is one of the most important hubs in the world and a key infrastructure site for Germany and Europe.  

Major new real estate developments - such as The Squaire, the Gateway Gardens business park, and the Mönchhof Logistics Park, etc. - are creating an exciting new dimension and range of services at the evolving Frankfurt Airport City of the 21^st century.  

Fraport AG
Robert A. Payne
International Spokesman
Telephone: +49-69-690-78547
E-mail: [email protected]
Press Office, Corp.Communications
60547 Frankfurt, Germany
Internet: http://www.fraport.com
Facebook: http://www.faceebook.com/FrankfurtAirport

SOURCE Fraport AG