Lufthansa to pay €325M for majority stake in ITA Airways
What's the deal? Deutsche Lufthansa AG will exercise its option in June to boost its stake in ITA Airways from 41% to 90%, paying €325M for the additional 49%. The airline's supervisory board approved the move on May 11. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, pending regulatory approvals from the European Commission and the US Department of Justice.
The seller is Italy's Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), which will retain 10% of ITA Airways. Lufthansa may acquire that final tranche in 2028.
Why now? Lufthansa has held a 41% minority stake in ITA Airways since January 2025, following a purchase agreement with the MEF signed in June 2023. That deal included an annually recurring option to buy an additional 49%. The airline says integration has moved faster than expected — all customer-facing systems are already unified, including booking, sales, fares, Miles and More membership, and Star Alliance access.
"We promised the fastest airline integration in our history," said Lufthansa Group chief executive officer Carsten Spohr at the company's annual general meeting. "We have not only kept this promise. We were even faster."
Lufthansa Cargo has also been marketing ITA Airways' cargo capacity since last year, adding the equivalent of three Boeing 777 freighters' worth of capacity.
What could go wrong? The transaction still needs regulatory sign-off. North Atlantic flights remain a sticking point — Lufthansa noted that regulatory approval for its transatlantic merger is still pending. Any delay from the European Commission or the DOJ could push completion past the Q1 2027 target.
The signal: The deal cements ITA Airways as Lufthansa Group's fifth network airline and deepens the German carrier's foothold in the Italian market. It fits a broader pattern of European airline consolidation, where legacy carriers are snapping up national airlines to build scale, expand route networks, and compete with low-cost rivals and Gulf carriers. Full organisational and financial integration will follow close of the deal — turning what began as a cautious minority investment into outright control in under three years.
Read more: newsroom.lufthansagroup.com
