The Spanish company Ferrovial has made an offer to buy three British airports, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton.
An offer of £800m was said to have been made to Heathrow Airport Holdings (formerly operating as BAA), according to Reuters news agency.
Ferrovial already has part ownership of Heathrow, Britain’s busiest airport, as well as a 25% stake in HAH.
Talks about the offer are believed to have taken place for a joint bid with Ferrovial to include two Australian funds, Macquarie and Industry Funds Management, according to industry sources.
Observers believe that Ferrovial wants to strengthen its existing airport business to temper problems with its construction business in Spain.
Last year it bid for five of Brazil’s largest airports, but was not successful.
Madrid-based Ferrovial declined to comment.
Ferrovial also is the ultimate owner of the concession holder for the Algarve's Via do Infante tolled motorway which receives tens of millions of euros of Portuguese taxpayers' money in support payments due to the entirely predictable lack of traffic using the road.
