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1 August 2004

Omniport acquires Maastricht Aachen Airport in first Dutch airport privatisation

Regional airport operator Omniport has acquired majority control of Maastricht Aachen Airport (MAA) in The Netherlands. In partnership with the Dutch construction company Dura Vermeer, Omniport has initially acquired 70% of the share capital of MAA, with the possibility of increasing its stake further in the future. Omniport invested a total of €8.75m at completion and may invest up to a further €3.75m within a six month period.

Omniport is financing the acquisition through existing cash resources and a £5m drawdown from institutional shareholders Penta Capital and Caledonia Investments plc.

Including the new investment from Omniport, MAA has approximately €40m in cash available for future investment in the infrastructure of the airport. There are also plans to create a business park adjacent to the airport.

Omniport executive director Clive Davies said: "We are delighted to have completed the acquisition of Maastricht Aachen Airport. The airport is geographically well positioned for both passenger and cargo growth and we aim to make significant investment in the infrastructure to support our plans."