Lufthansa votes through €9 billion state aid plan

The shareholders of Lufthansa have voted in favour of accepting €9 billion state aid package from the federal Economic Stabilisation Fund (WSF) after concerns that its largest shareholder could block the deal. The deal passed after billionaire shareholder Heinz-Hermann Thiele told the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that he would vote for it after earlier voicing unhappiness with the package. Thiele, who 15.5% holding makes him Lufthansa’s biggest shareholder had previously said he feared the government taking a stake in the airline would hamper its ability to restructure. Carsten Spohr, chairman Lufthansa said of the successful vote.  “The decision of our