No agreement yet on financial support package for Brussels Airlines
The talks between the Federal Government and the German airline Lufthansa about the future of Lufthansa’s Belgian subsidiary Brussels Airlines have broken up without agreement. Although no breakthrough was made it was agreed that the talks on the conditions for the Belgian state offering financial support to Brussels Airlines will reconvene in the coming days.
The airline is looking to secure a financial lifeline of at least 290 million euro and has requested state support. The Federal Government is prepared to step in to help save Brussels Airlines that is by far the largest airline at Belgium’s biggest airport in Zaventem, Flemish Brabant.
However, the Federal Government wants guarantees from Lufthansa on the future of Brussels Airlines before it will provide any cash. One way of providing guarentees could be for the Belgian state to become a shareholder.
Previously Lufthansa’s CEO Carsten Spohr let it be known that he isn’t a fan of offering the Belgian state shares in his company as a guarantee for the future of Brussels Airlines.