Lufthansa is set to officially acquire a 41% stake in the Italian airline Ita for €325 million on January 13, 2025, following extensive negotiations.

Ita, which emerged as the successor to the bankrupt airline Alitalia, is expected to play a pivotal role in Lufthansa's expansion strategy.

As part of the new management structure, Jörg Eberhart, Lufthansa's strategy chief, is a leading candidate to become the new CEO of Ita, alongside a five-member leadership team to be appointed soon.

Despite initial resistance, the Italian government engaged in negotiations to finalize the deal, emphasizing the strategic importance of maintaining a stake in Ita.

Due to EU Commission regulations, Lufthansa must relinquish certain takeoff and landing rights in Milan and Rome, which will be transferred to competitors like EasyJet.

This acquisition positions Lufthansa to tap into Italy's lucrative air travel market, making Ita the largest foreign airline within the Lufthansa Group and enhancing connections to South America, Africa, and Asia.

Current Ita passengers will experience significant changes, including a transition from the Skyteam alliance to the Lufthansa-led Star Alliance, which will affect their access to partner airlines and airport lounges.

The European Commission is closely monitoring the acquisition, having imposed conditions to ensure competition in the air travel market.

In November 2024, the European Commission approved the acquisition, including a package of competition remedies to facilitate more routes for Lufthansa's competitors.

EasyJet is preparing to enhance competition by launching 27 new routes, including six to Germany, and establishing two new bases in Rome and Milan.

While Lufthansa aims to optimize its services between Italy and other markets, this could lead to higher prices for passengers, despite increased competition from EasyJet.

The acquisition has sparked mixed reactions in Italy, with some viewing it as a loss of national identity and others expressing concerns over foreign ownership of the state airline.