(PRAGUE) - The Prague-Ruzyne airport should be sold for at least 4.0 billion euros (6.2 billion dollars), Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek stressed in remarks published on Monday.

"If it's less than 100 billion koruna (4.0 billion euros, 6.2 billion dollars), I will advise the government not to sell," he said in an article appearing in the financial daily E15.

Local analysts however have said 100 billion koruna would likely be the upper limit to the sale.

Press reports here have said the government of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek would prefer to sell the facility to a consortium of financial and strategic investors.

The final choice is expected to be made in the first quarter of 2009.

Among the candidates to date are Hochtief Airport of Germany, another German company, Fraport, operator of the Frankfurt airport, as well as Macquarie Airports of Australia, Albertis Airports of Spain and the investment groups PPT of the Czech Republic and Penta and J and T of Slovakia, according to press reports.

The Praque-Ruzyne airport reported a record 12.5 million passengers last year, up 8.0 percent on 2006, along with a 14.4 percent jump in net earnings to 1.1 billion koruna.

Text and Picture Copyright 2008 AFP. All other Copyright 2008 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.