Germany’s Lufthansa and Italian rival ITA will offer to give up 11 pairs of slots a day at Milan’s Linate airport to get the green light from the EU for their proposed cooperation, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on Sunday.
The German airline wants to acquire a 41 percent stake in state-owned ITA, Alitalia’s successor, but has so far failed to convince European competition regulators to approve the bid.
On Friday, Italy’s economy minister said the two airlines would propose further solutions after Lufthansa’s latest proposals were rejected as insufficient by the Commission.
The airlines are willing to give up 22 flights to and from Milan airport – where ITA appears to have a dominant position – and are already in advanced negotiations with Easyjet to take those slots, the report said, citing four EU sources and reporting. no comment from the companies involved. By giving up the slots currently held by Lufthansa, the new combined entity would not increase its overall market share, but this would remain between 60 and 62 percent, Corriere added.
