Originally Posted by
CXBA
That TAP is being offered to LH is quite understandable, since Portugal is one of the PIGS (financially speaking) and the company is one of the its few valuable assets that may be of some interest to the almighty german government. Another story is the willingness of the gangsters in Cologne to swallow it without provoking some afterthoughts in a usually tame EU antitrust (while if IAG is involved they would immediately start howling).
What exactly LH can offer more than IAG to TAP? I'd say not much more unless they wanna make Lisbon their exclusive hub for SA...
I think the Potuguese government believe that more TP jobs will be protected by a LH takeover rather than a IAG one. Their fears (possibly justifiably) will be that IB will wish to route passengers to marginal destinations through their MAD hub and will cut back TP service. TP and IB share a focus on Latin America, and joining LH may be seen as a better way to protect TP's network and jobs.