Lufthansa Group to Acquire Additional 49 Percent Stake in ITA Airways, Increasing Equity to 90 Percent

ITA Airways has today announced that Lufthansa Group has exercised their option to acquire an additional 49 percent of the company for €325 million, expanding their equity stake in the airline to 90 percent.

ITA Airways Airbus A330neo - Courtesy Airbus

On Tuesday (May 12, 2026), ITA Airways announced that Deutsche Lufthansa AG has decided to exercise their option to acquire sole control of the company.  ITA Airways will continue to operate under their own brand and Italian identity, while upholding their role as the reference carrier for Italy.  Lufthansa Group will acquire an additional 49 percent stake in the airline for €325 million, thereby increasing their shareholding to 90 percent, while the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance will retain the remaining 10 percent. Completion of the transaction is expected in the first quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals.

In Tuesday’s announcement, ITA Airways’ CEO and General Manager, Joerg Eberhart, said,

“This new phase represents a step of major industrial and strategic significance for ITA Airways. Over the past few years, we have built a solid, recognizable Company focused on quality, thanks to the contribution of our people and the trust of our customers, and Deutsche Lufthansa’s decision is a clear demonstration of the good work carried out so far.  We look to the future with ambition and responsibility: full integration into the Lufthansa Group will allow us to compete more strongly in international markets, while continuing to bring to the world the value of Italy, its connectivity and its capacity for innovation.”

ITA Airways is now preparing to enter a new phase of growth within the Lufthansa Group, improving their exposure in the European and international air transport market.  The increasingly close integration into the Lufthansa Group will enable ITA Airways to develop further commercial synergies with the Group’s airlines, while preserving their Italian identity.  This represents an opportunity to consolidate the airline’s role as Italy’s reference carrier, contributing to the growth of the country’s connectivity and to the promotion of ‘Made in Italy’ around the world.  

Italy represents a strategic market in the European and international landscape.  It is the third-largest economy in the European Union and the Lufthansa Group’s largest catchment area outside the U.S. and their home markets.  ITA Airways’ integration as the Lufthansa Group’s fifth network airline will also continue, building on the successful progress already made.  ITA Airways will continue to work to offer an increasingly integrated, efficient and competitive customer experience, leveraging opportunities created by belonging to a major international airline group.

Source: ITA Airways