Reports indicate Lufthansa – ITA deal close to approval |

Press reports today indicate that Lufthansa is likely to obtain anti-trust approval for its acquisition of a stake in the state-owned Italian airline ITA, sources said on Thursday. While the EC has not made a final decision, the outlook is positive for approval after the Commission and airlines agreed on a series of remedies to avoid anti-competitive problems. Lufthansa is looking to acquire a 41% interest in ITA, which is the successor to Alitalia, to boost its market presence in the Mediterranean market and key Italian markets. After initial denials, Lufthansa returned to the bargaining table with concessions, after spending millions of Euros into Alitalia over the years. One of Lufthansa’s remedies was not to integrate ITA into its transatlantic joint venture with United and Air Canada for the North American market for two years. It is expected that ITA will change alliance affiliation from the current Sky Team participation to Star Alliance once the investment is approved. A final decision from the commission is expected by 4 July 2024. Italy has been lobbying strongly for approval, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stating last September that the Commission was blocking the solution her government had put forward. Lufthansa chief Carsten Spohr has also been lobbying for the deal to be approved, pointing out that many observers don’t think ITA could survive without approval. Lufthansa Group, which also owns interests in Swiss, Brussels, Austrian, and Eurowings would benefit from adding ITA to its market reach, is Europe’s largest airline. After the Brussels acquisition, the Commission eliminated trading slots from its antitrust remedies, making airline acquisitions more difficult. Nonetheless, it appears an agreement has informally been reached between the parties.

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