Lufthansa Eyes €450M Gain in €1.2B TAP Air Portugal Acquisition

WHO:

ABC News - Deutsche Lufthansa AG is acquiring a stake in TAP Air Portugal.

ABC News - The Portuguese government is involved in the sale and will remain the main shareholder.

ABC News - Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro announced the deal.

WHAT:

ABC News - Lufthansa is buying a 44.9% stake in TAP Air Portugal.

ABC News - The deal is valued at 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion).

Bloomberg Markets - Lufthansa expects to find as much as €450 million ($505 million) in annual synergies from the acquisition.

ABC News - TAP Air Portugal carried 16.7 million passengers last year.

ABC News - TAP Air Portugal made a net profit of 4.1 million euros ($4.6 million) last year.

WHERE:

ABC News - The acquisition involves TAP Air Portugal, the Portuguese flag carrier.

ABC News - TAP Air Portugal operates more than 90 aircraft flying to over 90 destinations, including 52 in Europe, 16 in Central and South America, 14 in Africa, and 11 in North America.

WHEN:

ABC News - The Portuguese government may conclude TAP’s complete privatization by 2028.

WHY:

ABC News - The acquisition is part of the Portuguese government's effort to privatize TAP Air Portugal.

Bloomberg Markets - Lufthansa views the deal as a "couldn’t miss" opportunity to catch up with European rivals in Latin America.

HOW:

ABC News - The government set aside 5% of the company for its more than 9,000 employees to buy shares.

(UPDATED October 15, 2026 12:00 UTC)

Lufthansa is acquiring a 44.9% stake in TAP Air Portugal for 1.2 billion euros, with the Portuguese government remaining the main shareholder in the deal. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro announced that the acquisition is part of the government's plan to privatize the airline, which carried 16.7 million passengers last year and made a net profit of 4.1 million euros. The government has also set aside 5% of the company for TAP's more than 9,000 employees to buy shares, while Lufthansa expects to achieve annual synergies of up to 450 million euros from this strategic move.