Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International) has denied reports in the Italian press linking it to the proposed purchase of equity in Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International).
On Tuesday, January 17, Italy's Il Messaggero newspaper cited unspecified sources as saying the Emirati carrier's management had engaged their counterparts at Lufthansa to discuss the possibility of Etihad acquiring a stake of "between 30 and 40%" in the German carrier group via a capital increase. A second phase would entail a complete merger of the two airlines, the report said.
However, an Etihad spokesman told Reuters that it rejects the claims adding they are not looking "to take a financial stake in Lufthansa".
Lufthansa has yet to officially comment on the report.
