Lufthansa Group's CEO, Carsten Spohr, stated on Monday that the group holds a very strong interest in acquiring a minority stake in the Portuguese state-owned airline TAP and plans to establish a maintenance center in Portugal. This statement indicates that Lufthansa is now in direct competition with the Air France-KLM group over the privatization of TAP.

The Portuguese government restarted the long-stalled privatization process for TAP in July last year, aiming to sell a 44.9% stake to a strategic aviation partner to enhance its global competitiveness and influence, with an additional 5% stake reserved for employees. Portugal has requested that Lufthansa and Air France-KLM submit binding final offers by the end of July. Preliminary bids from both airlines were previously deemed by the government as broadly comparable and highly ambitious in terms of strategy, industry, and financial aspects, which has bolstered Portugal's confidence in TAP's valuation.

Speaking to media at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new Lufthansa Technik facility in Santa Maria da Feira in northern Portugal, Spohr noted that the group, following a series of European acquisitions, is now among the world's largest airline operators and views Portugal as a key partner with significant potential.

In recent years, Lufthansa Group has built a multi-hub network in Europe by acquiring stakes in several airlines, including Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and, most recently, Italy's ITA Airways. Spohr stated that the company's existing investments in Portugal demonstrate its commitment, expressing confidence in the country as the reason for establishing a maintenance center there.

The core appeal of TAP lies in its high-quality and profitable flight slots connecting its Lisbon hub with Brazil, Portuguese-speaking African nations, and the United States. The Portuguese government plans to make a final decision at a cabinet meeting scheduled for late August to early September, taking into comprehensive consideration factors such as price, industrial plan, aviation connectivity, and the financial capacity of the buyer.