Market Chatter: Lufthansa Floats as Frontrunner for TAP Majority Stake Purchase

05:56 AM EDT, 10/14/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The Portuguese government is expected to name the successful bidder for a majority stake in the state-owned airline TAP later on Wednesday, Bloomberg News reported on the same day, citing people familiar with the matter. The unnamed sources said the announcement of the preferred bidder will be made after a cabinet meeting. Meanwhile, echoing an earlier report from broadcaster SIC Notícias, Bloomberg noted that German flag carrier Deutsche Lufthansa (LHA.F) is being floated as the frontrunner for the deal, outbidding French-Dutch airline Air France-KLM (AF.PA) to secure up to 44.9% of TAP. Lufthansa told MT Newswires that there is no official communication on the topic as of now, while TAP did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)