BERLIN (USA TODAY) - German carrier Lufthansa is pushing ahead with a takeover of Brussels Airlines.
Lufthansa, which already owned a 45% stake in the Belgian carrier, announced on Wednesday it would exercise its option to acquire the remaining stake in SN Air holding, the parent company of Brussels Air. Lufthansa said it hoped to conclude the transaction by early 2017.
For customers, Brussels Air already participated in the Lufthansa Group’s Miles & More frequent-flier program. But changes could be on the way for Brussels Air as it becomes fully owned by the Lufthansa Group, whose subsidiaries also include Eurowings, Swiss and Austrian Airlines.
Reuters notes the moves come amid Lufthansa’s efforts to bolster its low-cost Eurowings unit.
"Lufthansa said earlier this year it was discussing how to bring Brussels, which has a fleet of 49 planes, into its Eurowings low-cost platform, which currently has around 90 planes,” Reuters writes.
But it also appears possible that Brussels Air brand could remain within the Lufthansa Group, which notably operates Austrian and Swiss as stand-alone brands.
Reuters says Brussels Air "is strong on routes to Africa, where the Lufthansa network has gaps, and the German carrier previously said it will look at ways to keep some of the branding.”
Brussels Air operates a hub in Brussels, from where it flies to many cities in Europe and Africa. To North America, Brussels Air flies to New York JFK, Washington Dulles (seasonal) and Toronto.
*****This file photo from Sept. 15, 2008, shows miniature models of Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa planes during a press conference in Brussels. German carrier Lufthansa will buy the 55 percent of Brussels Airlines it does not already own, completing a long-mooted takeover, the airline announced in a statement on September 28, 2016.