EU Commission Drops Interim Measures Against Lufthansa Amid Antitrust Probe

The European Commission announced on Thursday that it has decided to drop the previously planned interim measures against German airline Lufthansa, which were part of an ongoing antitrust investigation, according to Reuters.

Last month, the Commission had indicated that it would order Lufthansa to restore charter airline Condor’s access to its short-haul network, a move aimed at supporting Condor’s Frankfurt-New York route. The directive was linked to an inquiry into a joint venture involving Lufthansa, United Airlines, and Air Canada, which the EU executive suspected of potentially limiting competition on flights between Frankfurt and New York, per Reuters.

The Commission had argued that Lufthansa should reinstate a June 2024 agreement that allowed feeder traffic for Condor at Frankfurt Airport. This arrangement had lapsed in December, prompting the EU authority to consider intervention. However, following a reassessment of all available evidence, the Commission concluded that the legal requirements necessary to impose such interim measures were not fully met, according to Reuters.

Related: European Commission Orders Lufthansa to Support Condor’s Frankfurt-New York Route

Despite this decision, the broader antitrust investigation remains active. The Commission emphasized that withdrawing the interim measures does not impact the ongoing probe. “This comes without prejudice to the ongoing investigation in the main proceedings,” it stated.

The EU’s scrutiny of Lufthansa and its transatlantic partners continues as regulators assess whether their joint venture could be stifling competition in the market.

Source: Reuters