german airline lufthansa agreed with this thursday The Italian state will receive a 41 percent share airline Ita Airlines, born from the liquidation of the old Alitalia and sought a partner for years.
The Italian Ministry of Economy, which is the sole owner of Ita Airways, confirmed the operation in a statement after meeting with Lufthansa CEO in Rome. carten sforand the Italian company Antonino Turicchi with the president.
Lufhansa has announced that it will buy 41% of the Italian airline. capital injection of 325 million euros, with an option to purchase the remaining shares at a later date.
Italian Minister of Economy, Giancarlo GiorgettiIn the memo from the ministry, he spoke of “an integration perspective”.
A road that marked the history of the national airline with the perspective of integration into an important airline of Europe is closing today.”
In that sense, he assumed he was with the Government. Giorgia Melony, In power since last October“A knot that has conditioned the air transport market in Italy for three decades has been untied”.
“We believe this decision will allow the air market to develop in Italy’s interest.”
Spohr described the deal as “good news for Italian consumers and for Europe” because “a stronger Ita will strengthen competition in the Italian market”.
Contract to be submitted to the administration Evaluation of the Italian Court of Auditors and the European Commission DG Competition, a “shared” strategy by de Ita, its two shareholders, the Italian State and Lufthasa.
ITA Airways was founded in October 2021 as a separate airline from its predecessor Alitalia, which was liquidated after years of trying to avoid bankruptcy.
Since then, the Ministry of Economy, which until now was the sole shareholder of Ita, was looking for an economic partner, until last February Lufthansa plans to buy 40% of Ita for 250 to 300 million euros.
The German airline announced in a statement that the commercial and operational cooperation between the two companies will start immediately, but Ita will maintain its own direction and brand identity.
In addition, in order to guarantee sustainable growth, the German group further expand cooperation with the Italian railway company Ferrovie dello Stato, with which it signed an agreement last February.
The operation, announced today, was reviewed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a bilateral meeting at the final G7 in Hiroshima.