The Luxembourg airline Luxair has filed an objection with the General Court of the European Union against the Lufthansa Group's stake in the Italian airline Ita Airways, according to the aviation portal "CH-Aviation."
Details of Luxair's filing are not yet publicly available. It is also unclear to what extent this lawsuit could affect the future plans of Ita Airways and the Lufthansa Group. However, experts suspect that this legal step could at least delay Ita's integration into the Lufthansa Group or even jeopardize the plans in their current form.
Surprising step despite cooperation
Luxair's objection comes as a surprise, as the Luxembourg airline maintains a close partnership with the Lufthansa Group through the "Miles & More" frequent flyer program. However, according to "CH-Aviation," this move indicates potential tensions between the companies.
After a lengthy approval process, the Lufthansa Group received approval from the European Union to acquire an initial 41 percent stake in Alitalia's successor company. The German aviation group even aims to fully acquire Ita Airways in the future.
Strategic importance of Ita for Lufthansa
The integration process of the Italian airline into the Lufthansa Group has been in full swing since the beginning of this year. Ita Airways represents a strategically important partner for the Lufthansa Group, particularly in the lucrative transatlantic market. However, in order to obtain EU approval for the acquisition, Lufthansa and Ita had to make several concessions to address competition concerns.
Luxair's lawsuit could now impact the Lufthansa Group's further integration and strategic direction in European and transatlantic air transport. It remains to be seen how the General Court of the European Union will rule on this matter and what consequences this will have for the airlines involved.