According to media reports, Belgium demands solid guarantees for the subsidiary Brussels Airlines for possible government loan assistance to Lufthansa. Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès made this clear in a letter to Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr, the newspapers “L’Echo” and “De Tijd” reported on Saturday.
It is about aid of EUR 290 million as liquidity aid for Brussels Airlines. In return, the head of government demands detailed growth prospects and quantifiable goals for the development of Brussels Airport as a hub for the Lufthansa subsidiary, it said. This included additional investments.
The issue of a participation of the Belgian state with a possible veto right in the corporate policy, for example in travel destinations, was also up for debate, the newspapers further reported.
AUA’s mother Lufthansa is currently negotiating government aid in Germany amounting to around EUR 10 billion for the group. A state participation is also under discussion. CEO Spohr had recently rejected extensive state influence. (dpa)
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