Lisbon, Aug. 4, 2026 (Lusa) - Lufthansa's CEO stated on Tuesday that a potential acquisition of Portuguese flag carrier TAP would create synergies with ITA Airways in southern Europe and strengthen the group's position in the transatlantic market.
The comments were made by Carsten Spohr during the group's results presentation, in response to a question about Lufthansa's strategy should it succeed in the TAP privatisation process.
Asked how he intends to integrate TAP with ITA Airways, which was recently incorporated into the German group, Mr Spohr replied that Lufthansa believes in the Portuguese carrier's potential, highlighting its position in the transatlantic market.
Recently, Lufthansa has been advocating for TAP's growth in the Brazilian market, the expansion of the Lisbon hub and strengthening of its operations in Porto.
Carsten Spohr also indicated that the integration of TAP and ITA Airways would strengthen the group's presence in the Mediterranean and southern Europe, capitalising on the synergies between the two airlines.
Last Wednesday, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa submitted binding bids on the final day of the deadline for TAP's privatisation process, which is now entering its third and final mandatory stage.
Lufthansa stated that the submission of a binding bid in the TAP privatisation process is intended to «establish a long-term partnership» between the companies, and goes «far beyond a financial investment».
«We want to strengthen the Portuguese national airline as part of the Lufthansa Group and as the leading airline for the South Atlantic, with Lisbon as a strategic hub,» said Carsten Spohr, quoted in a statement.
According to the CEO, the partnership would «strengthen Lisbon's position as a strategically important Atlantic hub within the Lufthansa Group's network», expanding connections between Europe and Latin America, Africa and North America.
«With SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and ITA Airways, we have demonstrated how European integration within the Lufthansa Group ensures prospects for growth and development for our home markets and hubs,» he added.
Lufthansa Technik is also building an industrial facility at the Lusopark business park in Santa Maria da Feira, dedicated to the repair and maintenance of aircraft components. The investment is valued at hundreds of millions of euros and is expected to create more than 700 skilled jobs by 2027.
The airline group bidding to acquire TAP recorded a loss of €542 million in the first half of the year, compared with a net profit of €127 million in the same period last year.
Lufthansa generated €19.887 billion in revenue in the first half of the year, representing a year-on-year increase of 8%.
It should be noted that, in June, the Lufthansa Group exercised its option to acquire a majority stake in the Italian airline ITA Airways, increasing its stake from 41% to 90% for €325 million.
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