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France sells Air France stake to raise money.

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

In an effort to raise at least EUR700m, France was selling almost half its stake in Air France KLM today (9 December).

The French finance minister Herve Gaymard said that the proceeds from the sale will go towards

cutting state debt, reported Reuters. The finance minister was speaking at a joint news conference with the prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

The sale is expected to leave the French government as the owner of about 25% of the former national airline. Air France took over Dutch airline KLM earlier this year.

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