German airline Lufthansa wants Austrian authorities to extend Austrian Airline merger deadline

October 3rd, 2009 China's XAC is majority owner of Austria's FACCVIENNA — China's Xi'an Aircraft Industry (Group) Company Ltd. has become the majority owner of Austrian aviation supplier FACC AG, the Austrian company said Saturday.

September 19th, 2009 NY-bound Lufthansa jet turns back after oil leakFRANKFURT — A New York-bound Boeing 747 operated by German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG turned back in mid-flight Saturday after the pilot reported that one if the plane's four engines was leaking oil. The airline said Saturday that the plane, carrying 334 passengers from Frankfurt to New York, was over Greenland when the pilot made the decision to turn back although the plane could have flown onward to New York's John F.

August 28th, 2009 EU clears Lufthansa's Austrian Airlines takeoverFRANKFURT — German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG said Friday the European Commission has approved its takeover of Austrian Airlines Group, allowing it start integrating the company in September. Cologne-based Lufthansa is taking over about 42 percent of the shares of Austrian Airlines owned by the government for about €336,000 ($480,000), according to the European Commission.

August 4th, 2009 Austrian Airlines runs up 1H, Q2 lossesVIENNA — Austrian Airlines, the ailing carrier due to be taken over by Germany's Lufthansa, reported losses for the second quarter and first half of the year on Tuesday, blaming the slump in demand affecting the global aviation industry. The airline experienced a loss of euro78.5 million ($113 million) in the April-June period, compared with a profit of euro11.7 million ($16.8 million) a year earlier, a company statement said.

July 31st, 2009 EU to OK Lufthansa bid for Austrian AirlinesBRUSSELS — The European Union's antitrust chief says she will clear Lufthansa's bid for Austrian Airlines. EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said Friday that EU governments and the European Commission would still have to formally approve the takeover.

July 30th, 2009 Lufthansa 2Q net pft falls 88 pct to euro40 millionFRANKFURT — Airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG said Thursday its second quarter profit fell 88 percent on a slump in sales — especially of lucrative first- and business-class seats — due to the global recession. The Cologne-based airline, Europe's largest by sales, earned euro40 million ($56 million) in the April-June period compared with euro337 million a year ago.

July 30th, 2009 Lufthansa 2Q net pft falls 88 pct to €40 millionFRANKFURT — Airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG said Thursday its second quarter profit fell 88 percent on a slump in sales — especially of lucrative first- and business-class seats — due to the global recession. The Cologne-based airline, Europe's largest by sales, earned €40 million ($56 million) in the April-June period compared with €337 million a year ago.

July 17th, 2009 EU: Lufthansa makes new offer for AustrianBRUSSELS — Lufthansa has made a new offer to try and soothe antitrust concerns over its bid for Austrian Airlines, European Union regulators say. EU spokesman Jonathan Todd said last week that chances of Lufthansa winning regulatory approval for the deal by July 31 were fading fast because the company was not doing enough to eliminate competition concerns that the deal would reduce choice and hike fares on some routes.

July 16th, 2009 New Lufthansa cost saving program sees job cutsFRANKFURT — Airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG expects to cut 400 administrative jobs at its passenger division and will reconsider its schedule of new aircraft deliveries in a bid save euro1 billion by 2011. In a letter sent to workers, Christoph Franz, the deputy chief executive, told employees that Lufthansa's losses had continued from the first quarter into the second quarter, and that the trend would continue into the second half of the year unless market conditions change.

July 10th, 2009 EU warns Lufthansa on Austrian takeoverBRUSSELS — European Union regulators charged Friday that Lufthansa AG has not done enough to allay antitrust concerns over its bid for Austrian Airlines and they are now unlikely to approve it by the end of the month. Lufthansa has the right to pull out of the takeover if EU approval doesn't come through by July 31.

July 2nd, 2009 Austrian Airlines to cut 1,000 jobsVIENNA — Austrian Airlines, the ailing carrier due to be taken over by Germany's Lufthansa AG, said Thursday it will cut about 1,000 jobs by mid-2010 as part of an effort to boost its competitiveness. In a statement, the airline said the downsizing would happen in stages and include layoffs.

June 10th, 2009 Lufthansa May traffic falls 4.4 pct to 6 millionFRANKFURT — German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG said Wednesday the company's group passenger levels in May fell 4.4 percent to 6 million people, as the global recession cut into demand. The Cologne-based company saw 6.3 million passengers in May 2008.

April 29th, 2009 Lufthansa 1Q net loss euro256 millionFRANKFURT — German airline Lufthansa reported a first quarter net loss of euro256 million ($339.6 million) Wednesday, as the economic crisis cut into global travel and freight volumes. Cologne-based Deutsche Lufthansa AG's loss for the January-March period compares with a net profit of euro44 million in the first quarter of 2008.

April 24th, 2009 Lufthansa says it's prepared for difficult marketFRANKFURT — Airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG said Friday it expects the current difficult operating environment to continue in 2009, but that it was well prepared for the economic turbulence and the expected consolidation in the airline industry. At the company's annual general meeting, Cologne-based Lufthansa, Germany's largest airline, reiterated the extent and duration of the current economic crisis can't be forecast.

April 9th, 2009 VIENNA - An Austrian court stopped a case of motherly love gone too far by fining a 73-year-old woman for calling her son up to 49 times per day, the daily Kleine Zeitung reported Thursday. The court in the southern Austrian town of Klagenfurt convicted and sentenced the woman to a fine of 360 euros ($476) for stalking her grown son for two and a half years.