Lufthansa flies up: Entry at ITA after EU-green light!

Lufthansa flies up: Entry at ITA after EU-green light!

Lufthansa has taken a huge step! The European Commission has now finally approved the entry of the German airline at the Italian state airline ITA. With this decision, Lufthansa took the last hurdle to participate in the former Alitalia. The Brussels authority made it clear that the conditions for the deal were met after the Lufthansa has made some concessions.

What does that mean specifically? Lufthansa will initially take over 41 percent of the ITA shares for a whopping 325 million euros! But that is only the beginning: In the coming years, the German airline could take over the entire control over the airline for over 800 million euros. In order to receive the approval, both Lufthansa and the Italian Ministry of Finance of the EU Commission had to assure that they offer the competitors more flight connections and that important start and landing rights will be submitted at Milan Linate Airport. A clear step to promote competition!

a year of negotiations

Negotiations on this deal dragged on for a whole year. The Italia Trasporto Aereo (ITA) was created in 2020 from the Alitalia, which has been in difficulty, and currently employs almost 4,900 people. The EU Commission had already given the green light in June, but with strict requirements. Now that the last approval has been granted, Lufthansa is facing an exciting chapter in Italian aviation!