Russia's Aeroflot to file bid for Czech Airlines by March 20

MOSCOW, February 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's flagship air carrier Aeroflot is expected to file a bid for the purchase of the Czech national air company, Czech Airlines (CSA) before March 20, Aeroflot CEO Valery Okulov said.

"We will submit the application before March 20," Okulov said.

The Czech Finance Ministry announced on February 5 the terms of the tender for the privatization of a 92 percent stake in CSA, which performs flights to 104 destinations in 44 countries.

"I hope that the tender will be concluded by the end of the summer," Okulov said.

Aeroflot's deputy general director, Mikhail Poluboyarinov, told the Vedomosti business daily in mid-January that the company planned to file an application for the tender, but declined to say how much the Russian flagship air carrier was prepared to pay.

Meanwhile, the Czech Finance Ministry said that it had received inquires about the terms of the tender from more than 10 companies, the paper said.