European Commission objects to Lufthansa’s proposed stake in ITA Airways

The European Commission has informed Lufthansa and the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) that their proposed acquisition of joint control of ITA Airways may ‘restrict competition on certain routes in the market for passenger air transport services in and out of Italy’. The Commission’s preliminary view is that customers ‘may face increased prices or decreased quality of services after the transaction,’ it explained in a statement, following a ‘wide-ranging’ in-depth investigation first opened on January 23 2024. Particular areas of concern identified by the Commission include the potential for reduced competition on a number of short-haul routes between