Prague - The outgoing Czech government on Monday decided to invite the Dutch-French airline Air France-KLM and a Czech consortium of investment Unimex Group and Travel Service low-cost carrier to bid for Czech Airlines, acting Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek said.

The cabinet thus shut out Russia's Aeroflot and a private equity group, Odien, from privatizing the state's 91.5-per-cent stake in the national carrier.

Kalousek as well as outgoing Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek refused to explain the decision. The cabinet said earlier that it would vet applicants in the tender's first phase on strategic and security basis.

The two chosen bidders will be soon invited to proceed to the binding second round, in which the price will be decisive.

Topolanek's cabinet, which is expected to be replaced by a new caretaker government on May 9, wanted to pick the owner by September 30.

Kalousek said he hopes that the interim cabinet, which should govern until early elections in mid October, would be able to select the winner.

Czech Airlines have been troubled by dropping demand amid the economic crisis and plane leasing costs.

Most analysts thus estimate the carrier's price between 3 to 5 billion koruny (144 to 240 million dollars).

Topolanek's three-party centre-right cabinet has ruled in a caretaker facility since March 26 following a lost vote of no-confidence in parliament two days earlier. (dpa)