Ryanair is not interested in the slots to be given up by ITA Airways after its integration with Lufthansa, the CEO of the Irish low-cost airline said in an interview published on Friday.
Eddie Wilson told Italian daily La Stampa that the slots offered as part of the concessions agreed with EU antitrust authorities for the operation are “restrictive at present, not at the right time or too expensive”.
Lufthansa is expected to buy 41% of state-owned ITA, the successor to bankrupt Alitalia, with a view to taking full control at a later stage.
The European Commission gave conditional approval to the deal in July, after Lufthansa and Italy agreed to hand over the Italian short-haul routes to one or two competitors.
The German airline said it was in talks with Easyjet and Spanish low-cost carrier Volotea.