Lufthansa has recently sent a corrective offer to the European Commission, describing it as significantly improved. This offer addresses concerns raised by the Commission regarding short and long-haul flights, as well as concentration at Milan Linate airport. The Commission will now take time to analyze the proposals presented.
The potential market dominance Lufthansa may have on certain routes, especially those from Milan city airport, is at the heart of the dispute. Low-cost carriers like Ryanair and EasyJet are interested in potential slot transfers at Fiumicino and Linate airports. Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, sees the merger as the only way for Ita’s sustainability. On the other hand, Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa, is optimistic about the merger and highlights benefits for consumers, Ita, Lufthansa, and increased competition in the Italian market. Margrethe Vestager, Vice President of the European Commission warns that serious competition problems must be resolved for the transaction to be approved.
The situation surrounding the merger between Ita and Lufthansa remains complex with stakeholders closely watching developments. Various websites provide information related to online gaming and entertainment that may be relevant to this topic but does not affect this specific issue directly.
Ita has been waiting for over a year for approval from the European Union on its sale to Lufthansa since May 2023 when Lufthansa first proposed acquiring 41% of Ita from Mef.
The debate over Italy’s flagship airline continues with both sides presenting their arguments for why they should be allowed to merge their operations together. While some see it as a necessary step towards increased competition in Italy’s air travel industry, others argue that it would give too much power to one company on key routes.
As stakeholders continue to watch this situation closely, we can expect more updates on whether or not this merger will go through in the coming weeks or months.