The EU Commission’s decision on the Lufthansa – Ita Airways operation is still postponed, but only slightly, which would see the German carrier acquire 42% of the Italian one with the prospect of rising up to 100% in the following two years. From June 6th, the ruling was moved to June 13th. A few days if it weren’t for that […]
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The EU Commission’s decision on the Lufthansa – Ita Airways operation is still postponed, but only slightly, which would see the German carrier acquire 42% of the Italian one with the prospect of rising up to 100% in the following two years. Since June 6, the ruling has been moved to June 13th. A few days if it weren’t for the fact that the European elections will take place in the middle. The decision, assuming that a decision is made, will therefore be a Commission now on leave. Furthermore, also the next summer season (the most profitable) now seems “burned” by Brussels’ timing.
In the next few hours the parties will present a new package of proposals for resolve concerns relating to slots, routes and the Milan-Linate airport. On this last front, where the companies already have a large market sharethe possible remedies include the transfer of a significant part of slots to competitors including low cost ones easyjet and Wizz Air. According to previews of Corriere della Sera, Ita and Lufthansa would be ready to sacrifice 22 slots on Milan Linate, the coveted airport very close to the city centre.
“There’s still some work to do, let’s see. After all, they are the referees, we play the match, let’s see,” the minister said on Saturday Giancarlo Giorgetticommenting on the meeting with Margrethe Vestager, Vice President of the European Commission. “With Ita we are having many difficulties to bring home a very important result for our country. This is a prejudice for us. There is dialogue on our part but it takes two to dialogue.” This was stated by the deputy minister of economy Maurizio Leo who spoke at the Fdi programmatic conference in Pescara. On the exhausting slowness and the exasperated formalism with which the Commission is managing the practice have in the past received several criticisms from the parties involved. Some suspect that there is French pressure to compromise or, at least, slow down the operation as much as possible.
