The European Commission has decided to close its interim measures antitrust proceedings against Lufthansa in the A++ transatlantic joint venture case.

The proceedings had aimed at ordering Lufthansa to reinstate feeder access for German airline Condor under certain Special Prorate Agreements (SPAs) that had expired in December 2024. Frontier Economics supported Lufthansa throughout the proceedings.

The interim measures were to be taken in the context of an investigation into the A++ joint venture between Lufthansa, Air Canada and United Airlines. The Commission had expressed preliminary concerns that competition on the Frankfurt to New York route would be irreversibly harmed by the end of the SPAs.

Following two statement of objections, two oral hearings and two letters of facts, the Commission was ultimately persuaded – following further consideration of all available evidence – that the conditions for ordering interim measures against Lufthansa were not met. The proceedings were closed without further actions or remedies.

The Frontier team was led by Julia Dietrich, Steffen Reinhold and Stefan Lochner, supported by colleagues Josef Schumacher, Antonia Mather, Matthias Zubler, Fabian Schrogl and Anna Basten.