Lufthansa aims to repay state aid before German election

Lufthansa wants to repay state aid it received during the pandemic before Germany’s federal election in September if possible, the airline’s chief executive said on Friday.

“We were one of the first companies to be rescued by the federal government. We also want to be one of the first companies to pay back the rescue funds – hopefully before the federal election. We are working on that,” Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told an aviation conference.

Lufthansa was pushed to the brink by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, when travel restrictions led to a collapse in air travel, forcing it to take 9 billion euros ($11 billion) in aid from Germany and its other home countries.