ITA Airways-Lufthansa: Brussels ok expected in October
Evaluation will be carried out by the European Competition Commission
Expected in October the go-ahead from the European antitrust for the wedding between the national air carrier ITA Airways and the Lufthansa aviation group. Brussels will evaluate the documentation relating to the acquisition of 40% of the Italian company, now 100% controlled by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), by the Germans. The relaunch of the carrier will then start.
According to the newspaper "Il Corriere della Sera", which cites government sources, the investigation should last a maximum of 25 working days, because the aim is to resolve the critical issues already in recent weeks. According to rumors, France and Holland are putting in place disturbing maneuvers (to delay Brussels' assessment) to protect the interests of Air France and KLM.
The assessment will be carried out by the European Competition Commission, led by Margrethe Vestager, Vice-President of the European Commission. At the moment the offices have not received any notification on the operation, the arrival of which is expected between the end of August and the beginning of September, but the confrontation has been going on for weeks in what is the "pre-notification" phase.
AVIONEWS - World Aeronautical Press Agency