German cartel regulator rules that Lufthansa impedes Condor in competition for long-haul flights

German cartel regulator, The Bundeskartellamt, has prohibited Lufthansa from terminating long-standing cooperation agreements (Special Prorate Agreements, SPAs) with Condor, “for the time being”. Due to its dominant position in offering feeder flights, Lufthansa is subject to abuse control under German competition law and therefore is required to fulfil special obligations towards other market participants. The regulator noted that Lufthansa is “increasingly positioning itself in direct competition with Condor in the sector of long-haul tourist flights, especially with Eurowings Discover, the airlines are of different opinions whether to continue the agreements”. The number of long-haul routes on which both airlines offer