Niki Lauda preparing bid for airberlin’s Niki unit

monza — Former motor racing driver Niki Lauda is working on a bid to buy back the Niki subsidiary of insolvent airline airberlin, he told Reuters on Sunday.

Airberlin, Germany’s second-largest airline, filed for bankruptcy protection last month. Now the carrier is to be carved up, most likely among several buyers, with about 140 leased aircraft and valuable take-off and landing slots in Germany up for grabs.

“I am preparing a plan to bid for Niki which has to go in there by the end of the week. But I have not decided yet under what conditions I will do it,” Lauda told Reuters on the sidelines of the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

Bidders for the assets must submit offers by a September 15 deadline, and a decision could come on September

I am preparing a plan to bid for Niki which has to go in there by the end of the week. But I have not decided yet under what conditions I will do it Niki Lauda, Former motor racing driver

21, three days before the German national election. Lauda said he had started looking at Niki’s accounts, with more documents due to come on Monday and Tuesday before he can take a final decision.

German airline Lufthansa has government backing to take over large parts of airberlin. Britain’s easyJet and Thomas Cook’s Condor are also seen as likely bidders. —