Lufthansa has returned to private ownership after a final tranche of pandemic bailout support from the German government was sold.
The state initially took a 20% stake in Lufthansa via its Economic Stabilisation Fund (WSF) for €306 million in summer 2020.
The remaining 6.2% shareholding was sold to various investors, the airline announced on Wednesday.
It was agreed at the time that the holding would be sold by October 2023 at the latest.
A total of €9 billion was pumped into the carrier in 2020 to help it survive as Covid-19 forced the collapse of global travel.
Lufthansa had already repaid all the loans and deposits received from the German government ahead of schedule in November 2021.
German taxpayers were reported by The Daily Telegraph to have made a €760 million profit from the bailout as the carrier returned into private hands.
The chairman of global logistics firm Kuehne+Nagel, Klaus-Michael Kuehne, was said to have acquired the remaining stake offered by the government, making him Lufthansa’s biggest investor with a 17.5% shareholding.
Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr said: “On behalf of all Lufthansa employees, I would like to thank the current and previous German government and all German taxpayers for their support of our Lufthansa during the most severe financial crisis in our company’s history.
“The stabilisation of Lufthansa was successful, and is also paying off financially for the German government and thus for the taxpayer.
“We had already repaid the stabilisation loan amounts earlier than expected; and the WSF has now also sold its last remaining shares one year before the deadline.
“This brings the stabilisation of Lufthansa to a successful conclusion. Lufthansa is once again fully in private hands.
“All Lufthansa employees worldwide will continue to work hard to strengthen our position among the world’s leading airline groups, for example through a broad-based premium product and quality offensive.”