The European Commission, Europe’s competition watchdog, said it had extended its review of a bid by Lufthansa to buy a smaller Belgian rival, Brussels Airlines.

The German airline Lufthansa will take 80 percent control of BMI British Midland, the British carrier said Wednesday.

Lufthansa agreed to pay increases for its ground staff, ending the strike that disrupted air traffic in Germany for five days.

Frankfurt and Hamburg airports will be the hardest hit on Monday when 52,000 employees of Lufthansa go on strike, a union official said Sunday.

With fuel prices soaring, and airlines desperate to cut costs, Bombardier’s new 100-seat jet might seem an easy sell, but the wounded industry is in no mood to buy.