Lufthansa to raise ITA Airways stake to 90% for €325 million

Lufthansa Group, Europe's biggest airline group, will pay €325 million for an additional 49% stake in ITA Airways, raising its holding from 41% to 90%, the company said on 12 May 2026. Its supervisory board approved the purchase at a meeting on 11 May.

The €325 million price was set in the June 2023 purchase agreement with Italy's Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), which included an annually recurring option for another 49% stake. Lufthansa has held its 41% since 17 January 2025. The MEF will initially keep the remaining 10% and may sell that tranche to Lufthansa in 2028, which would make Lufthansa sole owner.

Rome fills a southern gap

ITA brings hubs at Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate. Lufthansa's existing hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna and Brussels all sit in Central Europe. Italy is Europe's third-largest aviation market, and Rome gives the group a southern gateway for traffic to South America, North Africa, the Middle East and Mediterranean leisure routes, Simple Flying reported. Lufthansa says ITA already functions as its fifth network airline in many areas. The publication also said ITA is expected to move deeper into Lufthansa's transatlantic strategy with partners including United Airlines and Air Canada.

Integration is largely done

Carsten Spohr, Lufthansa's chief executive, said at the annual general meeting that the group aimed to complete the main integration steps within 18 months and was "even faster." All customer-facing interfaces are already integrated except North Atlantic flights, where regulatory approval for the merger is still pending, he said.

ITA is already inside Lufthansa's booking, sales and fare systems, the Miles & More loyalty programme, Star Alliance and the group's premium lounge network, Lufthansa said. ITA joined Star Alliance in late March and moved its German operations to Lufthansa's terminals at Frankfurt and Munich, Simple Flying reported. Lufthansa Cargo has marketed ITA's belly capacity since last year, a volume the group says equals adding three Boeing 777 freighters.

What happens next

Lufthansa will exercise the option in June 2026. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to approval from the European Commission and the US Department of Justice. European authorities imposed remedies before approving Lufthansa's initial 41% investment, largely over competition on routes between Italy and Central Europe and long-haul markets involving Lufthansa's immunized Atlantic joint venture, the publication reported. After closing, ITA will be fully integrated into Lufthansa Group organizationally and financially.