The European Union has delayed its final decision on the sale of Ita to Lufthansa until July 4th. This move comes after Lufthansa recently sent a corrected offer to the European Commission, which it claims is significantly improved. The revised offer addresses concerns regarding short and long-haul flights as well as concentration at Milan Linate airport.
The acquisition of Ita by Lufthansa has been under scrutiny due to concerns about market dominance and the potential impact on competition in the Italian market. Low-cost carriers like Ryanair and EasyJet are also interested in potential slot transfers at major Italian airports.
Lufthansa’s CEO, Carsten Spohr, is optimistic that the EU Commission will approve the merger in the summer, citing benefits for consumers, Ita, competition in the Italian market, and Lufthansa itself. However, Ita’s president, Antonino Turicchi, emphasizes that all slots from the Lufthansa Group will be subject to release, which means that Ita’s market share will not increase as a result of the merger.
There are mixed opinions about the merger, with some seeing it as necessary for Ita’s financial sustainability while others worry about its impact on competition in the Italian market. The Vice President of the European Commission, Margrethe Vestager, has warned that serious competition problems must be resolved before any decision can be made on whether or not to approve
