The President of UOKiK cleared the takeover of control over Inflight Service Poland by Lagardere Duty Free. The proceedings demonstrated that the concentration scheme in question shall not result in a restriction of competition

The acquiring undertaking belongs to Lagardere Group whose subsidiaries operate in the following business areas: publishing, media, advertising, and travel retail. It owns shops at 12 Polish airports. Inflight Service Poland owns retail facilities at Warsaw-Modlin Airport.

The proceedings conducted by the UOKiK demonstrated that the concentration scheme in question shall not result in a restriction of competition. According to the existing case law, the UOKiK assumed the geographic market in this case was limited to individual airports. This means that competition between shop owners takes place within the area of a single airport. Since the company being acquired operates at an airport where the Lagardere Group is not present, the merger shall not lead to a change in market structure and restriction of competition.

According to the law, the merger is subject to notification to the antitrust authority if it involves undertakings whose aggregate turnover generated in the preceding year exceeded EUR 1 billion worldwide or EUR 50 million in Poland.

The decisions authorising the concentration expire if the merger is not completed within 2 years of their adoption.

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