Lufthansa may have to make more concessions to receive clearance from regulators for its planned purchase of assets from collapsed former rival Air Berlin.
The German carrier agreed a deal in October to buy Air Berlin’s subsidiary Niki, the LG Walter regional carrier and 20 other aircraft.
Lufthansa has already made a number of concessions to try to get the deal approved by competition authorities. Although the details have not yet been revealed.
According to reports, Lufthansa may have to increase the number of Niki’s landing slots that it is willing to give up to satisfy EU regulators and prevent the deal being delayed by the launch of a full competition investigation.
Regulators have until December 21 to either clear Lufthansa’s purchase or open a full investigation.
Ryanair has been one of the most vocal critics of Lufthansa’s move to buy a significant part of Air Berlin’s operations.