Lufthansa to Acquire 90% Stake in ITA Airways by 2027

Deutsche Lufthansa AG is moving to take majority control of ITA Airways, announcing it will exercise its option in June to increase its stake in the Italian flag carrier from 41 to 90 percent. The Lufthansa Supervisory Board approved the decision at its latest meeting.

The additional 49 percent stake will be acquired from Italy's Ministry of Economy and Finance for a previously agreed price of 325 million euros. The transaction requires regulatory approval from the European Commission and the US Department of Justice, with completion expected in the first quarter of 2027. The Italian government will retain the remaining 10 percent for now, with Lufthansa holding an option to acquire that final tranche in 2028.

Lufthansa first became a minority shareholder in ITA Airways on January 17, 2025, taking an initial 41 percent stake following a purchase agreement with the Italian government signed in June 2023. That agreement included an annually recurring option to acquire an additional 49 percent — an option Lufthansa is now exercising ahead of schedule.

CEO Carsten Spohr used the announcement at Lufthansa's Annual General Meeting to highlight how quickly integration has already progressed. He said the company had promised the fastest airline integration in its history and delivered even faster than planned — with booking, sales, and fare systems already unified, Miles and More membership extended to ITA passengers, Star Alliance access in place, and lounge network integration complete. The only outstanding piece is regulatory approval for North Atlantic flights.

On the cargo side, Lufthansa Cargo has already been marketing ITA Airways' cargo capacity since last year, adding the equivalent of three Boeing 777 freighters to its network. Spohr cited that success as a key factor in the decision to move early on the majority acquisition.

Once the transaction closes, ITA Airways will be fully integrated into the Lufthansa Group as its fifth network airline, alongside Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines.