(Bloomberg) -- Hungary is finalizing the purchase of Budapest Airport Zrt., pushing ahead with a multi-billion dollar acquisition despite a fiscal crunch.

The government will initially buy 80% of the hub, with French conglomerate and airport operator Vinci SA taking the rest, Economy Minister Marton Nagy told reporters on Tuesday. He reiterated plans for the Qatar Investment Authority to join the consortium later. He declined to elaborate on the purchase price.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has championed the acquisition as part of a broader push to boost local ownership in strategic assets, with the airport considered the crown jewel for the tourism and logistics industries. On Monday, Orban told lawmakers that the acquisition may happen in “days,” though Nagy said it’s likely to take weeks to finalize the legal details.

Hungary plans to expand the airport by building a third terminal and to boost capacity for both passengers and cargo, Nagy told Bloomberg in an interview in December.

Cash Squeeze

The government has long coveted the airport but was forced to abandon an earlier takeover attempt amid a cash squeeze. The fiscal situation is still tight, with the budget racking up a $6.5 billion shortfall already in the first quarter.

Read more: Hungary Budget Gap Swells to $6.5 Billion, Cabinet Plans Savings

The cabinet will be forced to delay some investments in order to rein in spending, Nagy told reporters on Tuesday, though he said that wouldn’t affect the airport purchase, which has already been cleared by the European Union. 

Hungary has built up a war chest for the deal, including the divestiture of a 15% stake in the local unit of Erste Group Bank AG, the sale of a 35% stake in the Hungarian unit of Vienna Insurance Group, as well as issuing debt.

AviAlliance GmbH, the operator of the Hungarian hub and its biggest shareholder, initially had no plans to sell the airport. It entered into talks after a years-long government campaign that sought to push out the current owners for under-investing in the hub, a claim the management has denied.

--With assistance from Marton Kasnyik.

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