Heathrow % sale9 Aug 2022 16:14
The owner of Heathrow is said to be considering selling its 25pc stake in the airport.
Ferrovial, the Spanish transport giant, has held preliminary talks with advisers on the future of its holding in Britain's biggest airport, Reuters reports.
It comes amid interest from French private equity firm Ardian, which is exploring a possible joint approach with Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.
Heathrow is worth about €24.3bn (£20.5bn) including debt, according to JPMorgan analysis, valuing Ferrovial's stake at around €611m.
Heathrow, which was the world's fifth busiest airport last month, was hard hit by Covid lockdowns, but raised its 2022 traffic forecast to 54.4m passengers in June after a rebound in travel demand.
Madrid-based Ferrovial has been invested in Heathrow airport for 16 years and ranks as its single largest investor. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which has a 20pc stake, is the second largest.