An American suitor

the fifth, which valued Wood at £1.66 billion (€1.84 billion), 59 per cent more than the share price before the first offer was made.

The board of directors listened to Wood’s investorsmainly big institutional funds ­ and decided to open the books to Apollo.

This follows a steady de­

STATE­OWNED airports operator

Aena is putting out to tender a fiveyear, €1.5 billion contract for private security.

What is possibly the Administration’s largest­ever services contract, seeks approximately 5,500 security guards and 2,000 assistants for Aena’s 45 airports, two helipads and Murcia aerodrome.

They will be required to provide adequate security at Aena airports which foresee 286 million arrivals during 2023, rising to 288 million in 2024, 301 million in 2025 and 315 million in 2026.

Insiders familiar with the contract specifications said in the Spanish press that this offered the option of an additional year, to provide the chosen companies with as much stability as possible.

Getaways

DESPITE the cost­of­living crisis, spending on flights and holidays rose in the first three months of 2023.

Details from more than 24 million UK bank accounts showed a 27 per cent year­onyear rise on package holiday bookings, and a 36 per cent increase in spending on airfares, according to analysis by digital advertising platform Cardlytics.

cline in Wood’s share price, partly to the problematical £2.2 billion (€2.5 billion) takeover of US engineering giant Amec Foster Wheeler, and attempts to diversify from oil and gas.

The original deadline for a decision has now passed and has been moved to May 17.

A health unto His Majesty

NYETIMBER, which produces English sparkling wine, predicted bumper sales for this summer.

Eric Heerema, Nyetimber’s chief executive and chairman, said the Sussexbased company was expecting “strong demand” over the Coronation bank holiday.

Sales had already surged in recent years, Heerema pointed out, thanks in part to warmer weather which favoured production and shot up by 60 per cent over the late Queen’s Platinum

Jubilee weekend.

Glasses of Nyetimber wines, which have been served at numerous royal events, will be raised again throughout Britain during and after HM King Charles III’s coronation on Saturday, May 6.

Nyetimber, like rival Chapel Down, is launching a £39.50 (€44.83) limited edition wine for the Coronation, made from West Sussex grapes.

“Consumers are always proud to champion and celebrate British goods and craftsmanship,” Heerema said.

While all the travel industry has enjoyed a post ­ Covid rebound, figures suggest a trend towards low ­ cost options as budget airlines are up 42 per cent year ­ on ­ year compared with 29 per cent for more expensive carriers.

Best start

BANKINTER had an excellent start to 2023.

The bank reported first­quarter profits of €185 million, 20 per cent more than the same period last year and Bankinter’s best­ever January­March figure.

It also takes into account the €77 million that Bankinter paid as the first instalment of the temporary windfall tax. This was introduced last year to fund government measures brought in to ease the costof­living crisis.

The stock market immediately responded with a 5 per cent increase in Bankinter shares although these later fell back to around 2 per cent.

Others Think It

ONCE again the festival of Ramadan has drawn to a close. Ten years ago, your average Brit in the street wouldn’t have had a clue as to the meaning or origins of Ramadan.

This year you would have to be a recluse in a moon cave to miss out on what is actually the most important Muslim celebration of the year. In fact, it now comes in as the UK’s third biggest religious event after Christmas and Easter. Apparently some four million Muslims have been fasting this month, and consequently the news has been carried on just about every media outlet you care to mention; including of course the projections and decorations that have flooded the West End of London.

There has been a positive deluge of programmes on TV, explaining the custom and how it affects its followers. A number have shown special diets. Times to eat and sleep, and even a series of exercises designed to help the followers get through, what can obviously be an