Lufthansa close to winning TAP Air Portugal partnership bid

Lufthansa Group is close to winning the bid to become a partner of TAP Air Portugal, with the Portuguese government expected to prefer its all‑cash offer over Air France‑KLM’s cash and equity swap proposal.

Under the planned partial privatisation, a strategic investor would acquire 44.9% of TAP shares, 5% would be allocated to employees, and the Portuguese state would retain at least 50.1% as the majority shareholder, with a decision expected after the Cabinet meeting on 14 October.

Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said he wants to make TAP the leading airline in the South Atlantic within the group.