Lufthansa to beef up presence in Portugal as race for TAP continues

The Lufthansa group says it is committed to winning a competition launched by the Portuguese State which is selling national airline TAP and is offering several sweeteners or offsets to strengthen its hand.

The German group is currently building premises for Technik in Santa Maria da Feira and the group led by Carsten Spohr is now considering setting up a school to train pilots, and is already in talks with the Portuguese Air Force.

“TAP would be the perfect match for us. It would be an important addition to the Brazilian market and to our presence in Latin America”, highlighted the CEO at the press conference about the company’s financial results.

Earlier this week at a lunch organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Portugal (AmCham Portugal), Portugal’s Finances minister, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento highlighted the German group’s investment in Portugal through Technik which could indicate that the government is leaning towards a Lufthansa offer.

“We have already demonstrated that we know how to maintain the character of hubs and brands, but, at the same time, we can explore synergies with the Lufthansa group”, maintained Carsten Spohr, hinting at concerns about the disappearance of the Portugal brand from the TAP carrier.

And the CEO of the German group said it would encourage the Government to install more assets in the country.

“Portugal can become an excellent strategic partner in the aviation sector. Because we are building Lufthansa Tecnhik and we are checking whether the aviation school, which we are discussing with the Air Force, can be in Portugal”, he revealed.

“These are interesting projects that demonstrate Portugal’s strategic relevance”, said the group’s CEO, admitting that “we will continue” with these interests in the country.

Returning to TAP, Carsten Spohr assured that the Portuguese airline has been known by the group for several years, and that, although they have access to the financial reports, “at some point, it will be necessary to verify the financial components beyond the transaction”.

Source: Negócios; Credits: TAP