FRANKFURT/BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Lufthansa has made concessions in the EU antitrust proceedings concerning its planned entry into the Italian state-owned airline Ita. This was confirmed by a company spokesman in Frankfurt on Tuesday. As a result, the EU Commission extended the "review phase 1" by ten working days to January 29, according to EU documents. A decision will then be made on this date as to whether there should be a further in-depth review ("Phase 2") or whether the conditions offered so far are deemed sufficient to ensure competition.

Lufthansa declined to provide details of the concessions. It said that it was in close and constructive discussions with all parties involved. In the case of airline takeovers, the EU Commission usually requires unbundling at airports where the new partners would be particularly strong as a result of the merger. In the case of Lufthansa's planned entry into Ita, this would probably be the case in particular at Milan-Linate airport, while in the rest of Italy the Alitalia successor does not have the dominant market position that Lufthansa has in Germany.

The Italian government had repeatedly pressed for a quick decision in Brussels. Lufthansa wants to take over 41 percent of Ita for a price of 325 million euros as a first step. The EU Commission must approve the agreement. The agreement to acquire the former competitor had already been announced at the end of April 2023. If approved by the competition authorities, a takeover would also be possible at a later date. From 2025, Lufthansa could exercise an option for a further 49 percent. However, the Italian state also wants to retain a stake beyond this date./ceb/DP/jha