La Poste has decided to sell its freight subsidiary Europe Airpost (formerly Aeropostale) to theIrish cargo company Air Contractors Ltd (ACL) after several weeks of exclusive talks starting on 8
November 2007.After signing the agreement with ACL, a subsidiary of Belgian shipping group CMB, certaindetails including a decree to privatise Europe Airpost need to be finalised and should be concludedby February 2008, according to travel publication Le Quotidien du Tourisme.
After reviewing two other offers from the French company Aigle Azur and the Icelandicaviation group Avion Aircraft Trading, Europe Airpost management chose ACL even though its offer ofEUR 37 million seemed less attractive than the EUR 47 million offered by Aigle Azur and the EUR 50million offered by Avion Aircraft Trading.
ACL was favoured mainly because it has been using its two Airbus A300 freighters as part ofthe cooperation with Europe Airpost, whereas Avion, which had taken over the French charter carrierStar Airlines, was particularly interested in Europe Airpost’s night flights at Paris.
La Poste operates a fleet of 22 aircrafts including 16 B737 QC which can be converted tocarry air freight at night and passengers during the day.
