KEY POINTS:
The future of Infratil's 90 per cent stake in Lubeck Airport in Germany could be known as early as next week.
The investor said it was discussing "various matters" with the City of Lubeck, which owns 10 per cent of the airport.
In German media, the airport's general manager Tom Wilson has said Infratil will retain its stake in the airport until at least October. There had been reports the company had been about to quit its stake.
While this was put down to a "communication problem", the city says that if an agreement can't be reached it would hold talks with other investors.
An Infratil spokesman in Wellington said negotiations with the city would be wrapped up by the end of this month.
Infratil, which bought its stake in Lubeck Airport in 2005 as part of its European airport operation, paid 27,000 and also 10 million to buy loans made to the company from the City of Lubeck.
Under the agreement, Infratil would pay a final instalment of 13 million - less operating costs and a contribution to the planning approval costs - if the airport succeeded in getting planning approval for extensions and improvements, and for 1.2 million passengers to use it by a 2008 deadline. A decision on the extension is due next month. Last month Infratil said the passenger threshold had not been met but it had extended the time it could put the stake
back to the City of Lubeck until January of next year, if necessary.
That right, which would involve a return of the purchase price, loans and certain capital and operating costs, might have expired this month had not the extension been agreed to.
