German airline Lufthansa has played down concerns of it coming under foreign control despite the percentage of non-German shareholders rising to 40 per cent.
Under current EU rules European airlines must be more than 50 per cent owned and controlled by European investors in order to qualify for operating licences awarded by the region.
In a statement on their website Lufthansa said there is “no immediate danger of excessive foreign control” at the airline
It gave no further explanation, though its website said its biggest groups of shareholders after German investors were from the United States, Luxembourg, the Cayman Islands, Britain and Canada.
Germany’s largest carrier also said it currently has “no intention” of buying back any of its own shares.
“[Lufthansa] has confidence in the self-regulation capacity of the capital market and does not intend to exercise its right to buy back its own shares,” the statement said.
In April around 425,000 Lufthansa passengers experienced disruption after pilots agreed to hold a three-day strike over pay and working conditions.
Lufthansa.com