Swiss SAIR GROUP has announced it will increase its stake in the Belgian company SABENA from 49.5% to 85%. The Belgian State, which has hitherto been majority shareholder with 50.5%, will keep 15% of the share capital. The agreement, to come into force "during the second half of 2001 at the latest", will be implemented by a share swap that gives SABENA a total share value of EUR 375 million. The Belgian State will, for its part, become the largest SAIR GROUP shareholder with a 3.3% share. The Swiss group will be preparing its introduction on the Stock Exchange on the EURONEXT market which groups the exchanges of Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris, an operation that will allow the SABENA staff to acquire shares of SAIR GROUP. The Belgian government has also said it would have the right to increase its SAIR GROUP stake to 5.5% in exchange for its remaining 15% stake in SABENA.