Lufthansa and ITA Airways have shared headlines for some time as the pair have worked towards investment plans.
According to reports, Lufthansa is now eyeing an eventual takeover of ITA Airways. However, this would not occur initially. The first plans highlight that the German flag carrier would look towards acquiring a 40% stake in the Italian carrier. This would then look to eventually grow to fully takeover ITA Airways by the midway point of the decade.
Lufthansa has always seen a lot of potential in ITA Airways. The Italian market has been one Lufthansa has been trying to crack for some time; however, these plans have been unsuccessful. Acquiring the services of ITA Airways could not just give the boost they need for the Italian market but also give ITA a lifeline for the future.
ITA Airways came in a day after the shutdown of Alitalia. They effectively began operating as Alitalia 2.0. While debts and more were cleared, the sustainability of the airline was always something that was questioned.
While ITA Airways reported considerable losses in its first operational year, the airline says this is what is to be expected of a startup. Lufthansa’s acquisition according to many offers a pathway out.
More and more Lufthansa Group is dominating Europe which isn’t good for passengers… will the European Commission approve this purchase? Perhaps, but it’ll come with pretty stringent remedies.
The reason Lufthansa is taking over is to run it correctly. This comes with a price. I would rather see Lufthansa do it then broke corruption with govt backing continue. Just my 02 cents
ITA is just going to go to trash after this, just like most LH group airlines. Volare will be scrapped and we’ll start using the crappy Miles and More. And we will leave SkyTeam. I hope they don’t go through with this, but they probably will.
ITA survival would be contingent that Lufthansa takes operation over on purchasing and maintenance or it’s a losing dog. Alitalia was a corrupt airline that left ITA with two black eyes. If the Govt allows the stipulations. ITA will be a powerhouse airlines with unlimited route expansion to a most popular destination. Italy is beautiful tourist attraction.