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The Belgian government is not satisfied with Brussels Airlines’ plans to scale back. Tensions are mounting ahead of a meeting with Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr on Friday.
On Tuesday (May 12) Brussels Airlines announced that it would cut its fleet by 30 percent and cut every fourth job. The Belgian government was surprised by the announcement of this plan by the Lufthansa subsidiary, according to local media reports. Negotiations between the state and the group for state aid are still ongoing.
On Monday night, Lufthansa is said to have rejected a government offer. According to various press reports, the amount of aid involved was between 290 and 390 million euros. In exchange, the government demanded a 25 percent stake plus a stake in Brussels Airlines. The state also wanted to secure control rights for the airline’s restructuring. Lufthansa declined.
Minister of Finance appeals to Lufthansa’s reason
Belgian Finance Minister Alexander De Croo and Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr will meet in Brussels on Friday to find a solution. In a television interview, the politician said that Lufthansa also had to “prove the reason.” The group could not demand efforts from Brussels employees and the Belgian government without committing in return.
The finance minister also referred to the ongoing negotiations between Lufthansa in Germany and its Austrian Airlines subsidiary in Austria. A coherent solution must be found in all three countries, De Croo said. He is in daily contact with his colleagues from the Minister of Finance in Germany and Austria.
Negotiations in Germany and Austria.
Lufthansa has already announced that talks with the German government also have a 25 percent stake plus a share, at least that’s one variant. The details of the negotiations are not yet official in Austria. The Austrian government is reportedly even considering a stake in the Lufthansa general group and not just the Austrian Airlines subsidiary.
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