Corsair, the French charter airline, looks set to become the next European airline to join the fast-growing Airtours group as its parent company, Nouvelles Frontieres, may be taken over by the UK tour operator.
Airtours and its UK rival Thomson, which runs Britannia Airways, have been progressively expanding throughout continental Europe by picking off tour operators and their airlines. Airtours already has involvement in Scandinavian airline Premiair as well as Air Belgium, and is helping to set up a German airline next year for its German tour operator affiliate Frosch Touristik International. Earlier this year Airtours acquired Lille, France-based tour operator Voyages Conseil through the take-over of Air Belgium's parent Sun International.
While Airtours declines to comment on the deal, negotiations with Nouvelles Frontieres' founder and largest shareholder, Jacques Maillot, are believed to centre on a sale price that is acceptable to both parties. Observers expect that the acquisition of France's largest tour operator will cost Airtours around $250 million.
Source: Flight International
