Lufthansa has for now ruled out a merger with another carrier and the sale of its struggling catering unit LSG, the German airline's chairman, Wolfgang Mayrhuber, said in French daily La Tribune on Friday.

"Strategic reasons are insufficient to justify a marriage. A merger has to create value for our shareholders and offer perspectives for our employers," he said. "For us that is not the case at the moment."

Lufthansa is part of the Star Alliance that groups Air Canada, Scandinavian airline group SAS and Austrian Airlines and Mayrhuber said that deal offered 80 percent of the benefits a merger could bring.

Mayrhuber said Lufthansa was not considering the sale of the loss making caterer LSG Sky Chef, nor of tourist unit Thomas Cook, which are both restructuring.

Lufthansa owns Thomas Cook, Europe's largest travel company, jointly with retailer Karstadt Quelle and earlier this week they announced a new management board at the company.

(Reuters)