Niki Lauda selected to buy assets of Niki airline

Vienna

AUSTRIAN former racing driver Niki Lauda has been selected to buy the assets of Niki, the airline he founded in 2003, the administrators of the former Air Berlin subsidiary said on Tuesday.

Mr Lauda's bid was preferred over Anglo-Spanish group IAG/Vueling. It was the third offer the former Formula One driver had made since September for Niki - formerly a unit of now bankrupt Air Berlin, and most recently operated by Lufthansa.