After years of rumored interest, the Lufthansa Group has officially confirmed that it would like to participate as a bidder in the privatization process involving Portuguese flag carrier TAP Air Portugal. The German airline is aiming to acquire a minority stake in its Portuguese counterpart, as well as looking to establish a long-term partnership with the Lisbon-based carriers that allows it to successfully flourish in years and decades to come.
Over the years, Lufthansa has brought various airlines into its wider group in order to help it grow into the European powerhouse of modern aviation that it is today. These include the likes of Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), and, most recently, ITA Airways. Should 
Officially Interested
Today, the Lufthansa Group released a statement confirming that it had officially submitted a letter to Portuguese state holding company Parpública detailing its interest in participating in the bidding process that relates to the privatization of TAP Air Portugal. By looking to acquire a minority stake in the airline, Lufthansa hopes to “secure the successful future of TAP as Portugal’s national airline” and establish a long-term partnership.
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said that the German flag carrier’s interest in TAP highlights the airline’s “great strategic importance to the European aviation industry.” This is particularly relevant with regard to flights to South America, of which TAP is a leading provider due to Portugal’s historical and cultural ties to the region. Lufthansa adds that African and North American connectivity would also benefit from such an acquisition. Spohr said:
“The Lufthansa Group welcomes the Portuguese government’s privatization process. Our goal is to strengthen Portugal’s global connectivity, preserve TAP’s Portuguese identity, and ensure the airline’s sustainable growth.”
The Story So Far
Frequent readers of Simple Flying will arguably know that this development has been a long time coming. Indeed, the German flag carrier was said to be in discussions with its Portuguese Star Alliance counterpart as early as February 2020, when it was reported that both it and United Airlines were interested in acquiring the 45% stake being sold by David Neeleman. It wouldn’t be long before Lufthansa’s name would circulate once again.
Indeed, the Lufthansa Group and Air France-KLM were named among the main runners and riders in September 2022, when it was reported that the Portuguese government was looking to fast-track its privatization process. The following year, as the German flag carrier weighed up its acquisition prospects regarding both TAP Air Portugal and ITA Airways, the Portuguese Prime Minister confirmed that he would welcome Lufthansa’s interest.
Still, the airline had to bide its time while the privatization remained under discussion, with this process officially being launched in September of 2023. A year later, reports emerged that Lufthansa was eyeing a 19.9% stake in TAP, with Air France-KLM and IAG also said to be among the interested parties. By November of 2024, the number of interested parties had risen to a reported 12, with the privatization finally signed into law this August.
Up To 16 Daily Flights To South America: Why Europe’s Airlines Want To Buy TAP Air Portugal
Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, and IAG have all expressed interest in TAP Air Portugal. Here’s one main reason why.
Lufthansa’s Current Portuguese Presence
Portugal is already a market that Lufthansa is familiar with, having been active there for over 70 years. Today, the airlines of the Lufthansa Group operate more than 280 flights to and from the country every week, with Lufthansa Technik also looking to grow its presence there. This will be done through the construction of an engineering facility near Porto, which would see 1,000 skilled workers employed by Lufthansa in Portugal by 2030.
According to scheduling data made available by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, Lufthansa’s top Portuguese route at present links Frankfurt (FRA) with Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) in Porto three times every day this month. Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) in Lisbon isn’t far behind, with either two or three daily rotations from Frankfurt throughout November. Lisbon also sees either one or two daily flights from Munich (MUC).