UPDATE: October 14, 2026: Portugal has officially selected Lufthansa to acquire a 44.9% stake in TAP Air Portugal, beating Air France-KLM.
Lufthansa may acquire up to another 5% if employees do not purchase the shares reserved for them, bringing its stake to as much as 49.9%. The government values the initial sale, including that employee allocation, at €1.201 billion.
The transaction still requires European regulatory approval. Portugal also says both bidders submitted proposals for a possible second phase involving majority ownership, so this may be the beginning of a larger acquisition rather than the final ownership structure.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
