<p>Germany's Lufthansa threw its weight behind a proposed $4.2 billion takeover of Embraer's commercial aircraft activities by Boeing, saying it would preserve a level playing field.</p>.<p>"We would rather have two healthy competitors," Lufthansa Group Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told an aviation conference on Tuesday.</p>.<p>The deal would see Embraer cede 80% of its commercial arm to Boeing, but has been slowed by a European Union competition probe expected to last until the end of April.</p>.<p>The EU is worried that whirlwind consolidation triggered first by Canadian Bombardier's decision to exit the market by selling a key programme to Airbus, and then the integration of rival Embraer into Boeing, would leave too little choice.</p>.<p>But several airlines have backed the Boeing-Embraer deal, suggesting Brazil's Embraer would not remain viable as a standalone competitor to a combination of Europe's Airbus and the Bombardier CSeries aircraft programme, now renamed A220.</p>.<p>Spohr said Lufthansa, which was the launch customer for the CSeries, had supported its takeover by Airbus after Bombardier ran short of funds needed to bring the 110-130-seat jet to market, and was now ready to back the Boeing-Embraer deal.</p>
<p>Germany's Lufthansa threw its weight behind a proposed $4.2 billion takeover of Embraer's commercial aircraft activities by Boeing, saying it would preserve a level playing field.</p>.<p>"We would rather have two healthy competitors," Lufthansa Group Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told an aviation conference on Tuesday.</p>.<p>The deal would see Embraer cede 80% of its commercial arm to Boeing, but has been slowed by a European Union competition probe expected to last until the end of April.</p>.<p>The EU is worried that whirlwind consolidation triggered first by Canadian Bombardier's decision to exit the market by selling a key programme to Airbus, and then the integration of rival Embraer into Boeing, would leave too little choice.</p>.<p>But several airlines have backed the Boeing-Embraer deal, suggesting Brazil's Embraer would not remain viable as a standalone competitor to a combination of Europe's Airbus and the Bombardier CSeries aircraft programme, now renamed A220.</p>.<p>Spohr said Lufthansa, which was the launch customer for the CSeries, had supported its takeover by Airbus after Bombardier ran short of funds needed to bring the 110-130-seat jet to market, and was now ready to back the Boeing-Embraer deal.</p>