Lufthansa hires JP Morgan for AUA bid -sources
VIENNA, Sept 30 (Reuters) - German airline Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) has hired JP Morgan as an adviser in its bid to buy Austrian Airlines (AUAV.VI), which is being sold by the Austrian government, sources familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.
Lufthansa is shortlisted in the auction of the loss-making Austrian carrier together with Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) and with S7, Russia's biggest domestic airline in one of the many airline takeover battles raging through the European sector.
The bidders are currently reviewing Austrian's books and are due to file binding offers by the end of October. Air France is advised by Lazard and Austria's Raiffeisen Investment. S7 has not picked an advising bank yet.
Lufthansa and JP Morgan declined to comment.
Austria elected a new parliament on Sunday in which the parties backing the outgoing government lost heavily. However, a reprise of the governing left-right coalition appeared to be likely after conservatives appointed a new leader on Monday.
There was a broad consensus in the outgoing government, which remains in place in a caretaker capacity until a new one is formed, to go ahead with the sale of Austrian.
Austria's state holding company OeIAG, which is offering its 43-percent stake, is advised by Merrill Lynch. (Reporting by Boris Groendahl)
