| Author (Person) | Tait, Nikki |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Financial Times |
| Series Details | 2.8.10 |
| Publication Date | 02/08/2010 |
| Content Type | News |
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The European Commission announced on the 30 July 2010 that it would open an in-depth investigation under the EU Merger Regulation into the planned merger between Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines, both Greek airlines active in passenger air transport. The Commission’s initial market investigation indicated that the proposed merger could raise serious competition concerns, in particular because the merged entity would have very high, if not monopolistic, market shares on all domestic routes and on a number of international routes where both parties operate. The Commission also had serious doubts as to the compatibility of the transaction with the Merger Regulation in connection with the provision of Public Service Obligation routes in Greece and the provision of ground handling services in Greece. The decision to open an in-depth inquiry does not prejudge the final result of the investigation. The Commission would have 90 working days, until 7 December 2010, to take a final decision on whether the merger would significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it. On the 26 January 2011 the European Commission competition authorities blocked the proposed merger between two of Greece’s largest airlines, Aegean and Olympic Air (OA), on the grounds that it would create a monopoly. |
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| Subject Categories | Internal Markets |
| Countries / Regions | Greece |
