By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -U.S. company Viasat’s $7.3 billion bid for British satellite rival Inmarsat may reduce competition in the aviation connectivity market, EU antitrust regulators warned on Monday as they opened a full-scale investigation into the deal.
The companies, which compete with market leaders Panasonic and Intelsat in the market for Wi-Fi on long-haul flights, announced the tie-up in late 2021.
The European Commission said its concerns stem from Viasat and Inmarsat’s standing as close competitors in Europe and globally for the supply of broadband inflight connectivity (IFC) services to commercial airlines.
“At this stage, the Commission is therefore concerned that by acquiring Inmarsat, Viasat may reduce competition…