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"To
be honest I see protectionism around the world rising rather
than more liberalization," Carsten Spohr said on Saturday at a
Star Alliance event in Zurich, highlighting growing scepticism
in Europe's free trade talks with the United States as an
example.
Spohr has repeatedly said Europe's airline industry needs to
consolidate to improve profits and that the airline wants to use
its Eurowings budget platform as a tool for that.
Outside of intra-European activity, Lufthansa had previously
invested in U.S.-based JetBlue <JBLU.O> and China's
now-liquidated Jade Cargo.
Merger activity on a global level is held back by rules on
foreign ownership of airlines in many countries, and Spohr said
it was an issue discussed by executives at this week's IATA
meeting in Dublin.
"We all met there, there were plenty of talks. We all look at
each other and believe there are too many limitations. All you
can do right now is a financial minority investment," Spohr
said.
For example, Etihad has bought minority equity stakes in
airlines around the world, and Qatar Airways holds a 15 percent
stake in British Airways-owner IAG <ICAG.L>.
"In our industry there's so many limitations and regulations on
what you can do outside your legal spectrum. That's the EU for
us, and we don't see much progress," Spohr said.
(Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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