Lufthansa is "optimistic" that its
acquisition of a 41% stake in Italy's ITA Airways will get the
go-ahead from the European Commission, CEO Carsten Spohr said
Wednesday.
"We want to close the agreement" with ITA "as soon as possible"
by receiving the green light from Brussels, Spohr told reporters
on the sidelines of the Aviation Summit in the Belgian capital.
"I am still optimistic because every politician I talk to in
Berlin, Rome and also in Brussels understands that ITA deserves
a future, that the Italian economy deserves to be connected in
the future, and that the cooperation between Lufthansa and ITA
is the answer," he continued.
"I would not work in aviation if I was not an optimistic
person," Spohr added.
In January the European Commission launched an in-depth
investigation into the proposed deal between Lufthansa and ITA
Airways, taking to phase two the antitrust examination of the
transaction that began in late November after the Italian
Treasury, currently the sole owner of the company that replaced
the loss-making former flag-carrier Alitalia in 2021, and the
German carrier formally notified Brussels of the plans for the
merger against an investment by the German carrier of 325
million euros.
Last Thursday European Competition Commissioner Margrethe
Vestager said the EU executive's approval of the deal is
dependant on how the companies aim to resolve problems regarding
routes.
"We have to wait a little longer," Vestager told RaiNews24
on the sidelines of the G7 Industry meeting in Verona when asked
about when the Commission would make a decision on the deal.
"It depends on how the companies respond.
"A very detailed examination has been done to see if there are
any overlaps on routes.
"If the both fly the same routes, one would have to close
theirs, and so prices would increase.
"We are waiting to find a solution to this problem, both from
ITA and Lufthansa, so that this merger can take place," she
concluded.
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