Aéroports de Paris to become ACV strategic investor

ACV, the largest enterprise in Vietnam's transport sector, said in a draft resolution prepared for its first shareholders' meeting on March 16 in HCM City that the initial price of the shares are expected to be VND13,100 (58 US cents) each.

With such share volume and price, ADP will hold some 7.4% of ACV's total equity of VND22.4 trillion. If the agreement is successful, the French company will be restricted in transferring its shares for at least 10 years.

ACV Chairman Nguyen Nguyen Hung told the press in January that ADP was the only investor, at that time that met the requirements of the Ministry of Transport to conduct negotiations in the role of a strategic partner.

Other organisations that proposed, but failed, to become strategic investors of ACV were Changi Airport International, a subsidiary of Singapore's Changi Airport Group, and the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam.

After launching an initial public offering on the HCM City Stock Exchange last December, ACV announced it would offer strategic investors a 20% stake. This means a remaining stake of 12.6% is still available for other investors.

Meanwhile, industry insiders said ANA Holdings Inc, owner of Japan's largest airline, All Nippon Airways, might be the next potential strategic investor of ACV.

Japan has expressed interest in the VND336.6 trillion Long Thanh international aviation terminal, which will be developed by ACV in southern Dong Nai province, following the government's designation. Japan is reportedly considering funding the terminal with government capital set aside for development assistance.

Additionally, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has also decided to sell an 8.8% stake to ANA Holdings at an estimated price of nearly US$109 million, and the agreement is expected to be concluded in June. 

In another statement, ACV said concentrating resources for Long Thanh development will be one of its business strategies for the next five years. The company will mobilise 114.5 trillion VND to complete the first phase of the terminal by 2025.

Between 2016 and 2020, the company projects passenger growth rates of six to eight% per year at its airport system. Also, it expects annual growth rates in freight to reach some five%.

This year, it plans to report total revenues of 12.1 trillion VND, with revenues from services increasing 5.1% over last year. It is set to pay dividends at a rate of five%, with pre-tax profits expected to reach VND2.1 trillion.

The company also plans to spend no more than 5.8 trillion VND on infrastructure upgrades at half of its 22 nationwide airports this year, including major terminals in Hanoi, HCM City and central Da Nang city.

Currently, the State retains a stake of 75% in ACV. 

Vu Anh Minh, the director of the transport ministry's enterprise management department, told Vietnam News Agency last November that the State's stake in ACV would be reduced from 75 to 65% "at a suitable time".

The reduction would depend upon the government's calculations in retaining its stake in the company, and the need for capital to assure progress in the Long Thanh project, he said.