Air New Zealand is considering several offers to buy its courier arm, Ansett Express, which reported a half-year pretax loss of $5.5 million.
Managing director Jim McCrea would not say what offers were on the table but according to industry players, at least two companies - Federal Expressand Freightways - have expressed interest in the company.
Freightways was thought to be a better fit for Ansett Express, although there might be competition issues to be sorted out, an industry observer said.
Ansett Express is the merged entity comprising Ansett Couriers, Ansett Airfreight and Ansett Pace.
The company is jointly owned by Air New Zealand and Ansett Australia. The $5.5 million pretax loss made in the first half compared with $700,000 in the last year.
Ansett Express has a turnover of more than $80 million.
Analysts have said that the company has not been well run since the merger. Mr McCrea declined to comment. "We don't respond to that sort of comment," he told the Business Herald.
He pointed out that Ansett Express operated under tough competitive conditions and although it had incurred losses, the situation could be turned around.
