SINGAPORE, 20 January 2025: The Italian airline ITA Airways is officially the newest member of the Lufthansa Group after the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and Europe’s leading aviation group announced the conclusion of the share transaction process and approval on 18 January.
Lufthansa Group acquired a 41% stake in the Italian airline ITA Airways, with the MEF continuing to hold 59% after the two parties reached an agreement in May 2023 that Deutsche Lufthansa AG would acquire a minority stake of 41% in ITA Airways.
Following that agreement, the European Commission recently approved the participation by approving the remedies on 29 November 2024. Other competition authorities outside the EU have since approved the participation.
The first step of the investment was implemented on Saturday using a capital increase of EUR325 million. Options for acquiring the remaining shares in ITA Airways have been agreed upon between the Lufthansa Group and MEF and can be exercised starting this year. With Saturday’s transaction, ITA Airways is part of the Lufthansa Group and will be the Group’s fifth network airline.
Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr said: “With our investment, we will now strengthen the Italian and European aviation market and the position of the Lufthansa Group as number one in Europe. Our joint passengers worldwide will benefit from improved offers and optimised connections as early as this upcoming summer flight schedule.”
Italy will become a further “home market” for the Lufthansa Group. The country is already the company’s second most important international market after the USA, outside the existing home markets of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium.
Rome Fiumicino Airport will be the sixth and southernmost Lufthansa Group hub. Milan-Linate, a metropolitan airport in the economically strong northern Italy region with the second largest catchment area in the EU, will play a prominent role in the group.
Timely integration
ITA Airways will be retained as a strong brand and developed further. With Saturday’s transaction closing, the Lufthansa Group and ITA Airways can conclude the first cooperation agreements for their passengers.
In a few weeks, ITA Airways frequent flyers will be able to collect their points or miles either in ITA Airways’ existing “Volare” program or already in Miles & More, the Lufthansa Group’s loyalty program. In addition, Miles & More participants can earn and redeem miles on ITA Airways flights. Further collaboration will follow, such as joint codeshare connections, mutual use of the respective lounges, and the planned admission to the Star Alliance aviation alliance.
ITA Airways (IATA flight code AZ) is a young airline that has been growing since it started operations in 2021. Its modern, environmentally friendly Airbus fleet currently numbers 99 aircraft, including 22 long-haul Airbus A350-900, Airbus A330-900neo and A330-200 aircraft. ITA Airways flies to almost 70 destinations around the world. The airline’s home base is Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate airport. In 2024, the airline welcomed around 18 million passengers aboard its aircraft.
Joerg Eberhart (54) has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ITA Airways. He is also a managing member of the Italian airline’s Board of Directors, which is based in Rome. In this role, Eberhart will take over the tasks previously performed by Antonino Turicchi and Andrea Benassi in the interim.
Lorenza Maggio (47) will become a member of the ITA Airways board of directors and take over the position of “Chief Strategy and Integration Officer” (CSIO). In this position, Maggio will manage the airline’s strategic development and be responsible for its integration into the Lufthansa Group.
Michael Trestl (39) will be responsible for the holistic integration of ITA Airways into the Lufthansa Group as “ITA Implementation Officer” and will transfer from Austrian Airlines to the group headquarters in Frankfurt for this purpose. Trestl has been an Austrian Airlines Executive Board member and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) since 2021.
“I am delighted that we can appoint two executives from our ranks to manage ITA Airways: Joerg Eberhart and Lorenza Maggio,” said Spohr. “With their extensive experience and expertise, they will continue ITA Airways’ successful course and quickly integrate the airline into the Lufthansa Group. Michael Trestl, an experienced airline manager, will take over the integration task in the group.”
The Lufthansa Group will provide further information at a press conference in Rome on 3 February 2025.
