TAV Airports, the Turkish airport operator, aims to sell a 30 per cent stake in its profitable ground-handling business to pay debts that fall due in 2009 and fund new bids for regional infrastructure projects.

Formed in 1997 to build Istanbul’s new international terminal, TAV now runs six airports in Turkey, Tunisia, Georgia and Macedonia; holds rights to operate five more, and is bidding for new projects in countries such as Latvia, Kazakhstan and Abu Dhabi.