Just as Li Xuemei and Airbus Vice President Kendrick were discussing the purchase of aircraft, Cathay Pacific Airways held a press conference. A consortium composed of several Chinese families acquired the hands of Swire Holdings for HK$3.6 billion.
About 7o% of Cathay Pacific Airways.
The completion of this acquisition means that Cathay Pacific Airways has completely become a Chinese-owned enterprise, and the person who proposed the acquisition, Cao Guangbiao, serves as the chairman of Cathay Pacific Airways.
With the Lee Group establishing a new airline, some Chinese-owned groups headed by Cao Guangbiao aggressively acquired Cathay Pacific, which made the media in Hong Kong quite interested.
The decline of the British-funded consortium has caused more conflicts among the Chinese families in Xiangjiang due to interest disputes. The media in Xiangjiang expect to see a big show this time, but they know that the Li Family Consortium has made a lot of preparations.
These days, many people from the UK, the United States and Japan have come to the Lee Building to report. Some staff have been arranged outside the Xiangjiang Aircraft Engineering Company, while other staff are waiting to receive the aircraft. They are all Li
The consortium poached pilots from various regional airlines.
Xiangjiang's current market is only so big, and most of the routes opened by Xiangjiang Airlines overlap with Cathay Pacific. It is impossible for the two major airlines not to conflict over the source of passengers in the future.
At the press conference, a reporter from Oriental Daily asked: "Sheng Cao, what is the reason why so many of your families spent a huge amount of over 5 billion Hong Kong dollars to acquire Cathay Pacific Airways?"
Cao Guangbiao is very happy now. He originally wanted to build his own airline but was rejected by the Xiangjiang government, which made him very unwilling. This time he was able to acquire the giant company in Xiangjiang and serve as the chairman.
He breathed a bad breath.
Cao Guangbiao said with a smile: "Cathay Pacific is an enterprise that serves the citizens of Hong Kong and other regions, but the recent issues about Cathay Pacific have deeply hurt the hearts of Hong Kong citizens and seriously affected Hong Kong's image around the world.
.This time we acquired Cathay Pacific Airways from a British-funded consortium just to change these problems and improve our image in Hong Kong."
The reporters didn’t believe what he said. They knew very well why Cathay Pacific had these problems. For even the slightest problem, Li’s media group could magnify it countless times. If it weren’t for Li’s media staring at it every day
Cathay Pacific, how could something like this happen?
A reporter from Sing Tao Daily asked: "Sheng Cao, we all know that Li's Xiangjiang Airlines has been established, and Boeing has placed orders for aircraft. It is reported that at the beginning of next month, two Boeing 747-2oo will be received.
By then Xiangjiang Airlines will officially start operations, and how will Cathay Pacific prepare to respond?"
Cao Guangbiao has also been troubled in the past two days. Although they have controlled Cathay Pacific Airways. And Xiangjiang Airlines has not even arrived yet, but the routes acquired by Xiangjiang Airlines have far surpassed Cathay Pacific Airways. And Cathay Pacific Airways
Xiangjiang Airlines basically has all the routes that the company has. Facing the competition with Xiangjiang Airlines, Cao Guangbiao still has some worries in his heart.
Cao Guangbiao said confidently to reporters: "We welcome the joining of Xiangjiang Airlines. Only by competing with each other can our airlines better serve the public. Moreover, we and Xiangjiang Airlines are both Chinese-owned groups. I believe that,
There will be no malicious competition between us, our two companies will only promote common development."
A Ta Kung Pao reporter asked: "Cao Sheng, we have received news that Xiangjiang Airlines has received government approval for routes to three cities in mainland China. As long as the mainland government agrees, Xiangjiang Airlines can open these three routes. I didn't know that you hold a controlling stake in Cathay Pacific.
After aviation, are there any plans to open mainland routes?”
Although Ta Kung Pao asked this, many reporters present did not believe that the current Cathay Pacific Airways could obtain new routes. The resistance here is not small. Looking at the current shareholders of Cathay Pacific Airways, it is estimated that the Hong Kong Transport and Housing Bureau will veto them.
application.
Even Xiangjiang Airlines has been blocked in mainland China routes. If Airbus had not wanted to sell planes this time, it is estimated that the Xiangjiang government would not have approved it. Li Guangyu is still like this, not to mention the shareholders of Cathay Pacific Airways.
.
Cao Guangbiao said: "After we take over Cathay Pacific, we will learn more about the company's situation and will definitely apply to the Hong Kong government in the future. We also believe that the Hong Kong government will treat every airline fairly, and we Cathay Pacific will definitely be able to get
Approved by the mainland airlines.”
Cao Guangbiao knew very well that if Cathay Pacific wanted to get new routes, not only would the Xiangjiang government make things difficult for them, but Xiangjiang Airlines, Cathay Pacific's biggest rival, would definitely not want them to get the routes easily.
However, he still has to give it a try. The main purpose for him and others to acquire Cathay Pacific is to strengthen their connection with the mainland. If they can't get a mainland route, it doesn't mean they control Cathay Pacific.
Very big.
While Cao Guangbiao was being interviewed, Gan Qin also made a detailed report to Li Guangyu on the sale of Taikoo Co., Ltd.
The sale price of Cathay Pacific this time was lower than when HSBC sold it. At that time, HSBC valued Cathay Pacific at US$6 billion, but this time it was valued at more than 5.1 billion, which is a direct decrease of more than 800 million.
Hong Kong dollar.
This is because Xiangjiang Airlines is not operating. Otherwise, the longer the delay, the lower Cathay Pacific's shares will be.
What Li Guangyu didn't expect was that Bao Yugang actually joined the acquisition this time. It seems that Cao Guangbiao has a lot of energy.
As for the Cathay Pacific issue, Li Guangyu doesn't think they pose much of a threat. At least in the next ten years, they will not pose a threat to Hong Kong Airlines. The Hong Kong Transport and Housing Bureau will definitely not approve many of their routes.
of.
Li Guangyu said: "Gan Qin, please inform Lei Jianbin so that he can start the operation. At the same time, we will recruit people in the name of Xiangjiang Airlines, with the focus on flight attendants. In terms of management personnel, we will be recruiting in two days."
will be in place, and we will strive to officially launch the company's flight by the middle of next month."
Since Du Yuemei, Peng Xiaoli, Gan Qinglin and Gu Zhengsheng have hired a group of local airline pilots, Xiangjiang Airlines now has no shortage of pilots in this area. As long as the flight attendants are in place and Boeing takes over the aircraft, Xiangjiang Airlines can
Flights are officially launched.
Gan Qin said: "Okay Li Sheng, I will make arrangements later. In addition, on the Swire Co., Ltd., Wooden Swire proposed that the funds from this sale will no longer be invested in Swire Co., Ltd., but will be used to
Guo Lingming, the shareholder who distributed dividends, also agreed to his proposal, so we did not object."
Li Guangyu got what he could get from Taikoo Co., Ltd., but he was not interested in the rest. The dividends were good and he could get back a lot of cash.
It seems that the Sihuaiya family is not prepared to vigorously operate Taikoo Co., Ltd., otherwise it would not use all the funds to distribute dividends. The current financial situation of Taikoo Co., Ltd. is not very good.