July 24 (SeeNews) - US-based Mesa Airlines is interested in acquiring Adria Airways and has been examining the business of Slovenia's flag carrier in the past month, local media reported.
Mesa Airlines is expected to take a final decision on whether to take over Adria within a month, or by the end of summer at the latest, news portal 24ur.com reported on Tuesday, citing unofficial information.
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24ur.com said that it received confirmation from Adria Airways that the company has been in talks with a strategic partner.
"The due dilligence and the negotiations with a potential investor have been intensively under way. We in Adria believe the transaction will be completed successfully," 24ur.com quoted Adria Airways as saying.
In June, Adria Airways CEO Holger Kowarsch told a news conference that the company is actively seeking a strategic partner with the owner, German-owned fund 4K Invest, planning to sell part or all of its holdings in Adria.
4K Invest controls Adria Airways via its wholly-owned subsidiary AA International Aviation Holding GmbH after purchasing the airline in 2016 from Slovenian sovereign holding company SDH, which is coordinating the privatisation process in the country.
Local media have been repeatedly reporting in the past months on the numerous flight delays and cancellations at Adria, suggesting they are due to technical problems with its fleet and insufficient cabin crew. In addition, the struggling company has also been in financial and liquidity trouble, plunging into a double-digit million loss, according to media reports.
Adria has not yet published its financial statement for 2018.