Lufthansa Tightens Grip on ITA Airways With Majority Stake Swoop

Lufthansa Group is moving to take majority control of ITA Airways, the company confirmed on Tuesday. The German firm will exercise its option to acquire an additional 49 percent stake in Italy’s flag carrier next month, lifting its overall shareholding from 41 percent to 90 percent.

The transaction, valued at €325 million ($382m), was approved by Lufthansa’s Supervisory Board on Monday and announced at the company’s AGM in Frankfurt.

Subject to regulatory clearance – primarily from the European Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice – the deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027. Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance will retain the remaining 10 percent stake, with a further option for Lufthansa to acquire that final tranche in 2028.

When Lufthansa formally concluded its initial acquisition of a 41 percent stake in January 2025, the contract included an annually recurring option to buy a further