Germany’s Lufthansa opens new tab and Italian rival ITA Airways will propose further remedies to try to secure EU antitrust approval for the tie-up between the two carriers, Italy’s economy minister said on Thursday.
The German carrier is looking to acquire a 41% stake in state-owned ITA – Alitalia’s successor – but ha so far failed to persuade EU regulators to clear the bid. Earlier this months Lufthansa submitted proposals, but these were little changed from an earlier package the Commission rejected as insufficient.
“In due time, the parties will submit some further remedies to address the concerns raised by the Commission, including the issue of certain routes,” Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said in a note after meeting EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager.
He added that it was important for Brussels to deliver a timely decision in order to “grant a positive future to the Italian airline, its workers and customers”.
(Reuters)
