Lufthansa CE eyes airline mergers in Europe

Lufthansa wants to take part in much-needed industry consolidation in Europe so carriers can compete better with US and Asian rivals, CE Carsten Spohr said Thursday. Spohr told an annual shareholders meeting that the 5 largest airlines in the US have an 80% share of the market, while in Europe the top 5 have just 40%. "Consolidation is a part of what needs to happen in Europe in order to make the sector more competitive when compared to the United States and Asia," Spohr said. "As Europe's largest airline, we want to take part in consolidation, not just be a bystander," he told investors. Lufthansa said late Wednesday it was looking at ways to bring part-owned Brussels Airlines under its Eurowings brand, though the Islamic State attacks in Brussels have pushed back the deadline for a decision to August. <br/>