Paris (AFP)

Aigle Azur shareholder Gérard Houa, who was behind a coup against the airline's management this week, said he was supported by the two other shareholders in an interview with the French newspaper. of Sunday.

Mr. Houa, who controls 19% of the shares of Aigle Azur through his company Lu Azur, reiterated his proposal to invest 15 million euros to bail out the company in difficulty, provided to establish "a new management ".

Arguing for "strategic mistakes" of the leadership, Mr. Houa had ousted Monday the president of the company Frantz Yvelin, a situation that ended two days later with the appointment of a temporary administrator, installed in the presence of the forces of order.

In this interview with the JDD, Mr. Houa assured to have obtained in his approach the support of the Chinese group HNA, which holds 49% of the capital of Aigle Azur, and the American businessman David Neeleman (32%).

"The HNA group told me that it would provide support in the form of cooperation, and David Neeleman wrote to me that he was willing to give me his shares for a nominal amount if I put that money on the table. table, "said Houa.

However, in an email that AFP had been able to consult, Mr. Neeleman had disassociated himself from the initiative, citing Monday a "usurpation" of the title of president of Aigle Azur.

He said he had spoken with HNA, saying that he "was not aware of the action before Gerard (Houa, Ed) and disapproves what he tried to do.

Asked about support from HNA and Mr. Neeleman for a replacement of the management team, Mr. Houa said that "they wrote to me very early and in a very clear way, I informed them of the operation" .

"The unions also demanded this change, because they feared that the former president would put the company into receivership.The EC and employees support me 100%," said Houa.

It is precisely with a view to judicial reorganization proceedings that a meeting of the Aigle Azur Works Council is convened Monday. Unions have expressed concern about employment.

Aigle Azur, founded in 1946 and whose links with Algeria represent 50% to 60% of the activity, employs 1,150 employees including 350 in Algeria. It has a fleet of 11 aircraft and has transported 1.88 million passengers in 2018. It has a turnover of 300 million euros in 2018 but "lose money since 2012", according to Frantz Yvelin.

© 2019 AFP