Lufthansa Group has completed the acquisition of a 41pc stake in ITA Airways, solidifying its position as the fifth network airline in the group, while the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance will hold the remaining 59pc.
The acquisition, which has been agreed upon for the remaining shares starting this year, follows ITA Airways’ ambitions since its launch in 2021 and was officially confirmed in May 2023 after approval from the European Commission.
ITA Airways will provide ‘remedy’ slots to competitors such as EasyJet, IAG, and Air France KLM at Milan Linate as part of the agreement.
Joerg Eberhart has been appointed as the new CEO of ITA Airways, which operates almost 100 aircraft, many of them on the Irish register, and recently launched a route from Rome to Dubai on 27 October.
The airline is now owned by the government of Italy via the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Lufthansa. ITA was founded in 2020 as a successor to the bankrupt Alitalia. The airline flies to over 70 scheduled domestic, European, and intercontinental destinations
Carsten Spohr, chief executive officer Deutsche Lufthansa AG, shared: “We are proud to finally welcome ITA Airways to the Lufthansa Group. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this, especially in Rome, Brussels, Berlin and Frankfurt.
“The ITA Airways team has written an impressive success story in recent years and, with great energy, passion and expertise, has built an airline that is already the pride of an entire nation. We look forward to continuing this success story of ITA Airways together.
“With our investment, we will now strengthen the Italian and European aviation market and the position of the Lufthansa Group as number one in Europe. Our joint passengers worldwide will benefit from improved offers and optimized connections as early as this upcoming summer flight schedule.”
