A dispute between Spanish travel group Marsans and Argentina can be settled if Argentina goes through with a deal to buy Airbus jets for Aerolineas Argentinas made before the government seized the airline from Marsans, news agency EFE said on Monday.
The dispute has threatened to sour a state visit to Spain by Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez that began on Monday.
In December, Argentine lawmakers approved the seizure of Aerolineas without compensating Marsans after negotiations for the sale of the struggling airline failed. The Argentine government argues that Marsans mismanaged the airline, but Marsans denies the charge and has threatened to take the case to arbitration at the World Bank.
Newspapers in Spain and Argentina report the two sides are now close to a deal under which Argentina would buy dozens of Airbus planes ordered by Marsans for Aerolineas Argentinas in return for Marsans dropping a legal challenge to the seizure.
Marsans is keen for Argentina to take the planes -- around half the 73 aircraft order struck in 2007 -- to avoid losing EUR€150 million in deposit payments already made, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Sunday.
EFE quoted sector sources as saying that Airbus wanted assurances from Argentina that it would guarantee the deal, including four A380 superjumbos, since the plane maker's contract was signed with Marsans, not Aerolineas.
Spokesmen for Marsans and Airbus both declined to comment.
Last Thursday Aerolineas signed an agreement to buy 12 737-700 aircraft from Boeing. Argentina's Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana, who is accompanying Fernandez on the visit, said talks to end the dispute were progressing but did not comment on the Airbus order.
"Certainly, there is a law in process, and certainly there have been different conversations that are developing in a positive climate. I don't want to put a timeframe on the resolution of the dispute," he said.
On Saturday, Argentina's La Nacion newspaper quoted a Marsans source who said a deal could be signed with the government on Monday or Tuesday.
Argentina's Transport Secretary Ricardo Jaime denied there was a quid pro quo, telling a local radio station on Saturday that the government was already in direct talks with Airbus to take over part of the contract signed by Marsans.
He said there would no be talks between the government and Marsans in Madrid but that there was contact with Airbus, "with the objective of making it possible for Aerolineas Argentinas and Austral to renew their fleets".
"If that opens a dialogue (with Marsans) and legal action is avoided, all the better.
Jaime added that Aerolineas and Austral needed the planes.
