ITA – Lufthansa Paradoxes Created by the EU

If, in fact, Brussels demands a cut in flights on the North Atlantic routes , there is a serious risk of a sharp increase in fares since a significant portion of the air offer covering the Europe-USA route, which represents one of the most profitable and courted in the world, would be lost, writes the newspaper Corriere della Sera.

This potential paradox is without considering that the EU conditions would weigh like rocks with a double and harmful effect: for Italian consumers, as they would be forced to use other routes to reach the United States, as well as for ITA Airways, because they would have to give up tens of millions of euros in profits generated precisely by Italy-USA-Canada connections.

The fourth paradoxical consequence.

This is namely the entry of non-European airlines on the direct routes between Italy and the USA, strengthened by the precedent that is a truly unique case in Europe, that being the Milan-Malpensa-New York connection operated for several years by Emirates.

It is worth remembering that on the basis of the Statement of Objections sent by the EU to the MEF (contact person for ITA Airways) and the Lufthansa Group, there are 39 routes defined as “problematic” by the EU and on which a sort of veto has been placed which precludes the green light for the operation. Of these 39, there are 8 which are direct intercontinental routes served by ITA Airways which should be downsized or even cut from the network.

Furthermore, the letter from the EU Commission explains that “ITA and Lufthansa, in addition to reducing their flights, should find a competitor to whom they can entrust the freed routes and help them financially by covering operating costs.”

All things considered, based on the claims of the EU Antitrust regarding cuts to routes on the North Atlantic, Italy would lose significant air connectivity indices to the advantage of other European countries.