Overview
- Condor chief Peter Gerber said over the weekend that the airline is open to buyers from the Gulf, naming Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, and that Turkish Airlines is another possible partner.
- The federal government holds 49% of Condor and has said it intends to sell that stake, while private investor Attestor owns the remaining 51% and has launched an investor search.
- Attestor could legally buy the state's 49% in the autumn, a move that would concentrate ownership and speed up any sale or partner talks.
- Gerber and reporting note that Lufthansa is effectively ruled out as a buyer for competition and antitrust reasons, which narrows realistic bidders to overseas carriers.
- A sale to a Gulf or Turkish carrier would reshape Condor's network and ownership and is likely to draw close review from German and EU regulators with possible effects on routes, jobs and market competition.