Brussels takes until June to study concerns over Lufthansa-ITA Airways acquisition

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. 

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.

The notification was filed on November 30 and allowed Brussels until January 15 to approve the acquisition of launch an in-depth study. A week before the deadline, Lufthansa submitted commitments to the EC to address some of the preliminary concerns of the commission, but these were deemed insufficient. Hence, the EC has opted for a deeper look at the various concerns. It has until June 6 to decide on the acquisition plan.