According to the Verslo Zinios daily, the shareholders of indebted Lithuanian airline flyLAL have approached the new Lithuanian government to say that they are prepared to sell the company's shares to the state for one litas. The Ministry of Transport and Communications has confirmed that a special task group will analyse the company’s finances. Eligijus Masiulis, the new minister, says that the group will also investigate why other airlines are choosing to close routes from Vilnius Airport. He neither confirms nor denies the newspaper’s sources’ information that flyLAL’s owners have asked the government to take over the company. Gediminas Ziemelis, flyLAL Group’s chairman of the board, comments: "It is not a direct request for support. We have made a number of suggestions to the ministry on how to regulate the aviation market in Lithuania, since the market is disorganized.”

 

Verslo Zinios, 2008-12-18