Lufthansa’s acquisition of a 41% stake in ITA Airways, the successor to Alitalia, is expected to significantly boost the German airline’s profits by hundreds of millions of euros in the coming years. CEO Carsten Spohr shared this outlook in a recent interview with the FAZ newspaper.
The deal, valued at 325 million euros ($335 million), is set to finalize on January 13, marking the end of prolonged negotiations. Spohr emphasized that Lufthansa wouldn’t have moved forward without the prospect of substantial earnings from the investment. The European Commission’s approval of competition remedies in November, which secured more routes for Lufthansa’s competitors, cleared the way for the deal.
While Spohr confirmed that a full acquisition remains Lufthansa’s “clear goal,” he noted that there are no current plans to increase the stake in 2025. He stressed the importance of maintaining the Italian government’s involvement in the process and indicated that the integration of both companies’ systems would take approximately 18 months.
With the deal finalizing, Lufthansa looks to strengthen its position in the European aviation market and tap into ITA’s potential for future growth.
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