Ferrovial Calls for Gatwick Airport Bids by Jan. 19, FT Says

By Kim-Mai Cutler

Dec. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Spain’s Grupo Ferrovial SA has asked for bids for London’s Gatwick airport by Jan. 19 in a sale that could command 2 billion pounds, the Financial Times said.

Bidders received an information memorandum about this week the sale, the FT said in a story published today. The Competition Commission, a U.K. regulator, has said it may call for a break up of the company’s monopoly over London’s main airports including Heathrow in the west and Stansted in the northeast.

Four groups have started to form to buy the airport, the FT said. Canadian pension funds, including Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, Canada Pension Plan and U.K.’s 3i venture capital group, are being advised by Macquarie Group Ltd. and Rothschilds. Manchester Airport Plc is also forming a group that may include Borealis, the Canadian infrastructure fund. Dresdner Kleinwort may advise this group.

Citigroup’s Citi Infrastructure Investors, Canada’s Vancouver airport and John Hancock Life Insurance may also bid for the airport.

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To contact the reporter on this story: Kim-Mai Cutler in London at kcutler@bloomberg.net.