June 4 (Reuters) - Real estate developer Group Mach Inc said on Tuesday it offered to acquire Canadian tour operator Transat AT Inc TRZ.TO for C$527.6 million ($392.91 million), topping an offer from Air Canada AC.TO .
Mach said it would pay C$14 in cash for each Transat share, which represents a premium of 18.2% to Monday's close as it looks to expand its leisure and hospitality business. Canada said in May, it was in exclusive talks to buy the parent company of leisure carrier Air Transat in an all-cash deal valued at C$520 million. and Air Canada have both agreed to a 30-day period of negotiations to finalize a deal, in which Transat shareholders will receive C$13 a share.
Mach on Tuesday said it had approached Transat seeking a potential negotiated deal earlier this year and followed it up with an initial letter of intent addressed to Transat's board.
Mach's offer to take Transat private comes at a time when Transat's largest shareholder, according to a Globe and Mail report, urged the company to not sell itself to Air Canada until it had restored its profitability. = 1.3428 Canadian dollars)