European Commission approves partnership between Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines
The European Commission has today granted regulatory approval for the partnership between Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa. The decision paves the way for Lufthansa to acquire an initial 45 per cent stake in SN Airholding SA/NV, the parent company of Brussels Airlines.
The transaction is expected to be finalised by the end of this month. This clearance from the EU competition authority will also give Lufthansa an option, as from April 2011, to buy the remaining 55 per cent stake in Brussels Airlines. This option is renewable annually every April over the next three years.
Regulatory clearance will enable both carriers to realise synergies and intensify their cooperation to the benefit of their respective customers. Harmonised schedules, which will lead to improved connections at the Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Brussels hubs, are just one of the advantages that customers can look forward to in future.
This partnership enables Brussels Airlines to connect Brussels Airport with the rest of the world. As from today, passengers will be able to fly to any of the 220 destinations in the common Brussels Airlines / Lufthansa network and soon to over 1000 destinations in the Star Alliance network from Brussels Airport.
Today, Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines passengers already profit from the partnership between the two airlines in the run-up to Brussels Airlines’ accession to Star Alliance and in the Miles & More programme.
The partnership between Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa will give the airline's staff members the advantages of belonging to a large group and the chance to benefit from more career perspectives. At the same time the Brussels Airlines specific characteristics, social dialogue and transparency, will continue to exist.
Full information about the cooperation and customer benefits is available on the Internet
at www.lufthansa.com and www.brusselsairlines.com.
