Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said
Tuesday that "we expect the green light in the summer" from the
European Commission to the German carrier's acquisition of a a
41% stake in Italy's ITA Airways.
Giving an online news conference to present the company's
first-quarter results, Spohr said "I'm optimistic that there is
a solution" while warning that "there are red lines we won't
cross".
Earlier this month Lufthansa and Ita submitted new commitments
to the European Commission in order to get the go-ahead for
their merger after the EU executed identified competition
problems linked to the operation.
Under Brussels' lens were, in particular, several short-haul
routes connecting Italy with Central Europe, some
intercontinental routes between Italy and the US, Canada and
Japan, and Ita's dominant position on the Milan-Linate route.
The Italian Treasury owns ITA, the company that replaced the
loss-making former flag-carrier Alitalia in 2021.
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