The European Commission is concerned that the proposed partial acquisition of ITA Airways by Lufthansa Group will reduce competition on short-haul routes in Europe and on long-haul routes, particularily to North America. That is why the EC has launched an in-depth investigation before it will rule on the proposal, Brussels said on Tuesday.Â
Lufthansa and the Italian government agreed last May that the German airline group would acquire a 41 percent stake in ITA Airways for €325 million. This can be expanded to a full takeover at a later stage. Lufthansa, ITA, the Italian government, and the European Commission discussed for months what should be included in the official notification to get approval from the EC.
Active as a journalist since 1987, with a background in newspapers, magazines, and a regional news station, Richard has been covering commercial aviation on a freelance basis since late 2016.
Richard is contributing to AirInsight since December 2018. He also writes for Airliner World, Aviation News, Piloot & Vliegtuig, and Luchtvaartnieuws Magazine. Twitter: @rschuur_aero.
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