BMI has been under Lufthansa’s control since July

GIANT German airline Lufthansa is considering its response after being hit with a £25,000 fine for not telling Jersey’s competition regulator that it had secured a £320 million deal to buy airline BMI.

Because subsidiary Bmibaby flies to the Island, the Jersey Competition Regulator Authority says Lufthansa should have not only told the regulator about the proposed purchase, but also needed to seek approval for the multi-million euro deal to proceed.

A spokesman said that the company was aware that it was expected to pay the fine by 15 January. However, he said: ‘Our legal department are looking into it and we are taking further legal steps in respect of the decision.’

The JCRA publicly announced its decision yesterday to fine Cologne-headquartered Lufthansa AG for failing to comply with the Competition (Jersey) Law 2005. This is the fourth fine the JCRA has issued under the law and the highest to date.