Lufthansa to apply for German state aid

German flagship carrier Lufthansa is planning to request state aid from several governments to weather the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak, daily Handelsblatt reported on Friday. Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told staff in an internal video message that the airline group, which also owns Swiss International Air Lines and Austrian Airlines, was speaking to governments of countries where its units are based about state aid, the newspaper said on its website.

Handelsblatt said a spokesman for airline confirmed the video message. Spohr will take part in a meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and industry bosses on the coronavirus on Friday, a person familiar with the plans told Reuters.

Lufthansa was not immediately available for comment.