Competition Agency Publishes Filing for Lufthansa's Acquisition of a Further 49% of ITA Airways

The Competition Protection Agency (CPA) has published a new economic concentration notice in Kuwait Al-Youm Issue 1810, page 162, dated 27 September 2026. The filing concerns Deutsche Lufthansa AG (Germany), active in air transport of passengers and cargo, acquiring 49% of the shares of Italia Trasporto Aereo S.p.A. (ITA Airways, Italy), which is active in air transport.

An economic concentration is the competition-law term for a deal that gives one party control over another. Under Article 83 of the Executive Regulations to Competition Protection Law No. 72 of 2020, any interested party may file a reasoned objection with the CPA within 15 days of this notice, that is, by 12 October 2026, at the Agency's office on the 14th floor of Al-Hamra Tower, using the form on its website and paying the prescribed fee.

The stake is the second step of a deal Lufthansa has been carrying out since January 2025, when it bought 41% of ITA. In May 2026 it exercised its option to buy a further 49% from Italy's Ministry of Economy and Finance for EUR 325 million, which would take it to 90%. Lufthansa has said the purchase needs regulatory approvals, mainly from the European Commission and the US Department of Justice, and expects to complete it in the first quarter of 2027.

WEFAQ's view: neither airline is Kuwaiti, yet the deal still needs clearance in Kuwait, most likely because of the parties' sales into the Kuwaiti market. Aviation and logistics groups planning cross-border deals should keep Kuwait on the merger-control checklist, including when a minority holder moves to control.

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Source: Competition Protection Agency announcement, Kuwait Al-Youm Issue 1810, page 162, dated 27 September 2026; Lufthansa Group press release, 12 May 2026.

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your circumstances, please contact WEFAQ Law Firm.