Lufthansa provides the EU a minimize in slots for the approval of the ITA operation | EUROtoday

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Openings from German Lufthansa to the Competition Directorate of the European Union which is inspecting the file regarding the German group’s entry into 41% of Ita Airways by a capital improve of 325 million euros. The supply talks about renouncing the slots and routes of Milan Linate the place, if the operation goes by, Lufthansa with its companions (the community that features Austrian, Brussels Airlines and Swiss), along with Ita would have a number one place all of which may compromise the free competitors of different airways, in accordance with a European Commission doc printed in December, following the notification to Brussels on 30 November.

No remark from Germany

The information reported by Bloomberg has been circulating for a couple of days in accordance with sources who comply with the file in Italy, whereas Lufthansa has issued a “no comment” – with out, nonetheless, any denial of the information – nor have there been any feedback from the European Commission. It is not any coincidence, contemplating the approaching deadline of 15 January, when in accordance with the bizarre process (the so-called “phase one”) the 25 working days from the notification would have expired, for the pronouncement by the Competition Directorate of the European Commission . But the Minister of Economy, Giancarlo Giorgetti, on 22 December final, talking with journalists, had introduced that the European Commission would ask for a supplementary investigation: «They made us perceive that we’re going to the so-called “phase two” – he declared -. Therefore, additional months of in-depth research can be wanted, after having performed precisely all the things that had been prescribed by the European Commission itself. The undeniable fact that extra time is wasted just isn’t a optimistic factor.” For “section two” a duration of between a further 90 working days and up to 110 days is expected, upon request of the parties. So it will end in late spring. In the meantime, Lufthansa continued to press the European Commission, which offered maximum collaboration with the aim of obtaining a decision “as quickly as potential”.

Rereading the document from the EU Competition Directorate, it emerges that the activities of Deutsche Lufthansa and Ita Airways “overlap primarily for the supply of passenger air transport providers”, but “because of the restricted presence of Ita outdoors Italy, the proposed operation ends in solely a restricted variety of direct/direct short-haul overlaps on routes from Rome and Milan to cities in Germany, Belgium and Switzerland.” The focus is on slots and routes served by the two companies and the network at Linate airport. The same document also mentions «direct/indirect overlaps on medium and long-haul routes from Italy and Switzerland to America, Africa and Asia».

The purchase of new aircraft

Ita Airways, which has a fleet of 83 plane, goals to achieve 96 on the finish of 2024: in the meanwhile an settlement has been reached to acquire the Sace assure and an extra financing operation with monetary establishments for the acquisition is being outlined of recent owned plane. Ita Airways expects to shut December 2023 with money of round 450 million. Two components contribute in direction of a speedy determination: initially, the disbursement of the 325 million euros for the capital improve is on standby till approved by the European Commission. Then it should be thought of that the business and operational synergies between Ita Airways and the Lufthansa community stay frozen till Brussels’ ruling.