UPDATE 1-At least six bids for Lyon airport, three for Nice - sources

(Adds two bidders for Lyon)
PARIS, May 12 (Reuters) - At least six offers have been
submitted for France's 60 percent stake in Lyon-Saint-Exupery
airport along with three bids for a similar stake in Nice Cote
d'Azur airport, sources close to the matter told Reuters.
France kicked off the privatisation of both airports in
March as part of plans to raise cash to help meet budget deficit
targets. There will be a second round of bids ahead of a July 4
deadline to firm up the indicative offers selected.
Bidders are hoping to get a share of the growing returns
from increased air traffic.
A consortium of French investment fund Meridiam and Spanish
infrastructure firm Ferrovial FER.MC bid for both airports as
did a group made up of French construction company Vinci
SGEF.PA , insurer Predica CAGR.PA and state-owned Caisse des
Depots, the sources said.
French buyout group Ardian also placed an offer for both
airports. It may link up with investment fund Siparex and
Caisses d'Epargne regionale for the Lyon airport.
Investment fund Cube Infrastructure together with Geneva
airport also made an offer for Lyon, the sources said.
Turkish firm Limak Yatirim as well as Australian group
Macquarie also bid for Lyon, other sources told Reuters.
Macquarie however did not bid for Nice, one of the sources
said.
The economy ministry declined to comment on the bidders, who
had until midday (1000 GMT) on Thursday to submit their offers.
Indicative offers were also expected from Changi Airports,
which is the operator of Singapore airport, and from Canadian
pension funds Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.
According to the sources, German insurer Allianz ALVG.DE
together with Global Infrastructure Partners, may have bid for
the Nice airport stake as could Italy's Atlantia ATL.MI tying
up with EDF Invest EDF.PA .
French airport operator Paris Aeroport ADP.PA has not bid
for either airport, it has said.