Infrastructure funds prepare sales of airports in UK and Italy-sources

By Andres Gonzalez, Emma-Victoria Farr and Elisa Anzolin

LONDON (Reuters) - A group of infrastructure investors around Europe are working on the sale of their stakes in European airports, leveraging on the recovery of travel in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to bankers, investors and industry sources.

Among the largest of the airports that may see a change of ownership as soon as 2024 is Edinburgh, five of the sources said.

Its owner Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) is working on the sale of its majority stake in a process that may value the airport at over 2.5 billion euros ($2.72 billion), according to two sources close to the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the process is private.

AGS Airports, which oversees operations at Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Southampton airports and is owned by Macquarie and Ferrovial, may also follow, according to two people with knowledge of the plans.

Investors in 2i Aeroporti, which has a stake in the operator of Milan's Linate and Malpensa airports, are also weighing a sale, according to three sources close to the matter.

The minority investors in 2i Aeroporti, Ardian and Credit Agricole Assurance, have hired Mediobanca and Credit Agricole to find a buyer for their 49% stake in the company, the people said.

Catania's airport operator SAC also hired Mediobanca and law firm Gianni & Origoni to assist in the "preparatory and operational phase" of a privatisation process, SAC Chief Executive Nico Torrisi said in an emailed statement.

Ardian, GIP, Ferrovial, Macquarie, Credit Agricole, and Mediobanca declined to comment.

(Reporting by Emma-Victoria Farr, Andres Gonzalez, Elisa Anzolin, additional reporting by Joanna Plucinska, Mathieu Rosemain, Editing by Anousha Sakoui and Elaine Hardcastle)