AIRLINES – AUSTRALIA

Singapore, BGH lead Virgin race

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal, Damon Kitney
The Australian – Page: 13 & 17 : 15-May-20

Deloitte’s Vaughan Strawbridge is expected to receive four serious non-binding indicative bids for Virgin Australia on 15 May. They are tipped to include a consortium that is headed by AustralianSuper and private equity firm BGH. Singapore’s Temasek will not be a member of the consortium, although it would gain indirect exposure to Virgin via its investment in BGH’s $2.5bn equity fund. Queensland government-owned QIC has ruled out making an indicative bid on 15 May, although it might join a consortium in the second round of the bidding process.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, BGH CAPITAL PTY LTD, TEMASEK HOLDINGS (PTE) LTD, QIC LIMITED

Let’s fly: state in bid to buy Virgin

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Original article by Craig Johnstone
The Australian – Page: 1 : 14-May-20

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has criticised the Queensland government’s proposal to acquire a stake in Virgin Australia via the state-owned Queensland Investment Corporation. State Treasurer Cameron Dick has stressed the importance of having two sustainable national airlines, adding that his priority is to retain and create jobs for Queenslanders. The QIC is tipped to join one of the consortiums that are bidding for Virgin, and Dick says its investment could take the form of a direct equity stake, a loan, guarantee or other financial incentives.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, QUEENSLAND. TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS

Virgin headed for another disaster, warns REX boss

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Original article by Tony Boyd
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 16 : 7-May-20

Regional Express’s executive chairman Lim Kim Hai says the administrator of Virgin Australia seems to merely want a quick sale of the airline. However, Lim says Deloitte’s Vaughan Strawbridge should pursue a complete restructure of Virgin, otherwise it will face more financial problems under new owners. Lim argues that amongst other things, Virgin’s "restrictive and punitive" enterprise bargaining agreements need to be rewritten, although he concedes that unions will ensure that this does not happen.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, REGIONAL EXPRESS AIRLINES, REGIONAL EXPRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX REX

Virgin bidders set to team up after talks

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Original article by Patrick Durkin, Liam Walsh, Jonathan Shapiro
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 4-May-20

Virgin Australia’s administrators Deloitte stated on 30 April that 20 parties had expressed an interest in buying the failed airline. However, that number could fall to around a dozen or less, following recent talks between potential bidders about the possibility of joining forces. Private equity firm BGH is said to be in discussion with AustralianSuper about a possible deal, with Singapore’s state owned investment fund Temasek also said to be involved in their talks. Other potential bidders include US private equity fund Indigo Partners and mining magnate Andrew Forrest, with Forrest possibly teaming up with David Baxby, the former aide of Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, as Baxby and Forrest have close ties.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, BGH CAPITAL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, INDIGO PARTNERS LLC, TEMASEK HOLDINGS (PTE) LTD, VIRGIN GROUP LIMITED

Forrest among Virgin suitors as June sale set

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Original article by Robyn Ironside
The Australian – Page: 13 & 20 : 1-May-20

The first meeting of Virgin Australia’s creditors has been told that eight prospective buyers of the carrier have signed non-disclosure agreements with the administrators. A further 12 parties are still in negotiations with Deloitte, which is seeking indicative offers by mid-May with a view to finalising the sale of Virgin by 30 June. Meanwhile, a spokesman for Andrew Forrest’s Minderoo investment group has declined to comment on speculation that the iron ore magnate could buy Virgin. ACTU president Michele O’Neil has called for government support for Virgin.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, MINDEROO PTY LTD, ACTU

BGH’s Team Australia appeal for Virgin

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Original article by Patrick Durkin, Lucas Baird
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 20 : 24-Apr-20

Twelve parties are believed to have expressed interest in acquiring or investing in Virgin Australia. They include Australian private equity firm BGH Capital, which contends that a local buyer would be in the best interests of the airline and its employees. Foreign private equity firms and hedge funds are said to be interested in Virgin. Meanwhile, former Ansett Australia chairman Rod Eddington has backed calls for Virgin to cease servicing international routes and focus on the domestic market.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, BGH CAPITAL PTY LTD, ANSETT AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED

Buyers queue, Virgin could sell in two months

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Original article by Robyn Ironside
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Apr-20

Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah says the embattled airline is not expecting to receive a federal government bail-out following its descent into voluntary administration. He adds that the government has rejected nine requests from Virgin for financial assistance, while Treasurer Josh Frydenberg notes that Virgin is controlled by five large foreign shareholders that have "deep pockets". Vaughan Strawbridge of Deloitte, who has been appointed as administrator of Virgin, believes that the carrier could be sold within 2-3 months. More than 10 potential buyers are said to have expressed interest in buying Virgin, including a number of overseas investors.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED

Ailing Virgin’s crash landing

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Original article by Simon Benson, Robyn Ironside
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 21-Apr-20

Virgin Australia’s creditors are unlikely to recover much of the money they are owed after the struggling airline was placed into voluntary administration. Virgin’s international shareholders agreed to the move after the federal government rejected a request from the carrier for a $100m emergency grant. Private equity firm BGH is believed to be among two potential buyers of Virgin, which could be revived as a low-cost airline focusing on the domestic market. Labor and unions have urged the government to take a stake in Virgin to ensure that it survives.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, BGH CAPITAL PTY LTD, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN

Coalition pressure to rescue Virgin

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Original article by Simon Benson, Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 20-Apr-20

It is understood that Virgin Australia could be placed into voluntary administration within days unless the federal government steps in to save the airline or it can be rescued by the private sector. Former Queensland premier Peter Beattie, who gave Virgin $10 million to base its headquarters in Brisbane in 2000, says the tourism sector would be "devastated" if the airline goes under. Federal Liberal MP Jason ­Falinski believes that Virgin needs to be kept afloat, and that the federal government and taxpayers may end up being the "buyer of last resort".

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Private equity investors circle over Virgin

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Jemima Whyte
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 17-Apr-20

Virgin Australia has asked the federal government for a $1.4 billion loan to help it survive the COVID-19 induced shutdown of the aviation sector, and it has threatened to put itself into voluntary administration if government help is not forthcoming. However, pressure on the government to provide Virgin with a loan may have eased, due to reports that at least two private consortia are looking to take over the airline; one of the two is understood to be an investment bank partnered with an Australian infrastructure investor, while the other is believed to be a private equity entity in partnership with a "strategic airline investor".

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN