Slight thread drift, but while we're talking about Lufthansa....
For quite a few years, I've been trying to point out here on PPRuNe the remarkable ease with which Lufthansa has been able to overcome any EU competition concerns when they have bought or invested in various carriers - Swiss, Austrian, BMI, SN Brussels, Germanwings, et al....Certainly when compared to the hoops that BA has had to jump through over the years, and also compared to the EU's outright opposition to Government funding for the likes of Alitalia and Malev while turning a blind eye to the 'Regional Incentives' picked up in the millions by Ryanair and some other LoCos....
By amazing coincidence, just as Lufthansa has a slight problem on their horizon, the EU has almost simultaneously announced that it is to investigate two recent airline deals -
Etihad's investment in Air Berlin - which, again, by complete coincidence just happens to be Lufthansa's only serious competitor in the German market....
Delta's investment in Virgin - which the EU seemed to ignore for years when the same investment was in the hands of Lufthansa's Asian partner, but is now to be retrospectively investigated just a year or so after the EU originally gave the go-ahead for Delta to purchase Singapore's holding in Virgin....
Now I happen to be seriously concerned about the involvement of these Government backed ME carriers outside of their own geography, and the damage they have inflicted on many US and European legacy carriers - enough to have made me question on here, in the past, the EU's lack of interest in ensuring a level playing field for European carriers....It always seemed to me to be stupid that the EU has contributed to the troubles at Olympic, Alitalia, and effectively closed Malev, by specifically denying the ability of EU governments to support their own nations' airlines with their own citizens' taxes whilst at the same time providing an open door for these ME state backed carriers....
But as soon as Lufthansa feels it might be disadvantaged by another mega carrier investing in one of its major competitors, the EU springs into action....And then reopens its file on the Delta / Virgin deal....
Coincidence, I'm sure....