The European Union notes that a merger between the two airlines would not violate antitrust rules.
The German airline Lufthansa has obtained the approval of the European Union to buy a 41% stake in the air Line Italian state ITA Airways. The operation, worth 325 million euros, will allow Lufthansa to expand its services in Italy, one of the largest tourist markets in Europe.
If ITA Airways’ financial results improve, Lufthansa has the option to do with the wholly owned by the company. The Commission’s verdict, which indicates that the merger does not threaten fair competition, ends months of uncertainty surrounding the deal.
“At a time when consumers are faced with increasingly higher prices for air travel, it is very important preserve competition in the sector“said Margrethe Vestager, executive vice-president responsible for EU competition policy.
“We have to prevent passengers end up paying moreor have fewer and lower quality air transport serviceson certain routes within and outside Italy,” said Vestager. “The package of solutions proposed by Lufthansa and the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance in this cross-border agreement fully responds to our competition concerns,” concludes the Danish policy. .
Agreements with rival airlines for short-haul routes
To obtain EU approval, Lufthansa and ITA Airways have agreed to offer his rivals some short distance routes in Italyallowing them to start non-stop flights between Rome, or Milan, and certain airports in Central Europe.
The German company has confirmed that it is in talks with Easyjet and the Spanish Volotea.
Regarding long-haul flights, Lufthansa and ITA Airways have also agreed Collaborate with your rivals to improve connections and increase the frequency of non-stop flights. Companies will cooperate to transfer passengers and luggage between connecting flights, and will also exchange takeoff and landing slots with other airlines.
After numerous delays, the merger is a positive step for him Meloni Governmentwhich tries to protect the state coffers by privatizing several public companies.
However, the European Commission will not be able to close the agreement until the rival airlines accept benefit from anti-competitive measures.
Some analysts stress that ITA Airways will place a heavy burden on Lufthansa despite its award-winning market accesssince the Italian airline It’s not profitable for decades.
Lufthansa already has a list of subsidiaries among which are Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines.
