FRANKFURT AM MAIN, May 25 — Berlin and coronavirus-stricken airline giant Lufthansa agreed today on a nine-billion-euro (US$9.8 billion) rescue package subject to approval by shareholders and competition authorities, the company and Germany’s economy ministry said.

"Before the coronavirus pandemic, the company was operatively healthy and profitable and had good prospects for the future,” the economy ministry said in a statement announcing the mixture of state investments and loans, while Lufthansa said the state would withdraw as a shareholder by the end of 2023. — AFP