The Brazilian civil aviation industry regulator has given preliminary permission for Brazilian engineering company Odebrecht SA to sell its controlling stake in the operator of the international airport in Rio de Janeiro to HNA Airport Holding (Group) Co. Ltd of China, Reuters reports.

The news agency says HNA Airport Holding agreed in July to buy the 60 percent of the airport operator, Rio de Janeiro Aeroportos SA, owned by a subsidiary of Odebrecht.

Changi Airports International of Singapore owns the rest of the airport operator.

Odebrecht is selling assets to reduce its debt, Reuters says.