Italian claim that Lufthansa and Etihad to merge is unfounded

Sources in Etihad and Lufthansa have poured scorn on reports in an Italian newspaper that the two airlines are to merge.
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Il Messaggero earlier reported, without citing sources, that managers from both companies have for weeks been examining the possibility of Etihad buying a 30-40 percent stake in Lufthansa through a sale of new shares to the Abu Dhabi state-owned airline, as a precursor to a merger.

Earlier today James Hogan, the CEO of Etihad Airways, denied the reports abut said the two companies were in talks to increase co-operation, following the code-sharing agreement they announced in December 2016.