Yesterday afternoon Lufthansa officially signed the agreement with Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance to acquire a minority stake in ITA Airways.
The industrial plan envisages a revenue growth of €4.1 billion in 2027
“Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti and Carsten Spohr, CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa, met at the Ministry of Economy and Finance to confirm the conclusion of the agreement,” reported the Rome daily newspaper Il Messaggero. Lufthansa's investment in ITA Airways is for a minority share. The company's industrial plan envisages a revenue growth of €2.5 billion for this year and €4.1 billion in 2027.
“The market will develop in the best interests of Italy”
ITA's president, Antonino Turicchi, also attended the meeting. "After the signing," the note continued, "the agreement will be submitted to the Italian Court of Auditors and notified to the European Union's Directorate General for Competition. Minister Giorgetti said: 'Today marks the end of a path that has marked the history of our national flag-carrier with the prospect of integration with a major European carrier. Today a knot that has conditioned the air transport market in Italy for thirty years is being untied. We are convinced that this will allow the market to develop in the best interests of Italy.”
A boost in the number of planes and for the workforce
It is planned that by the end of 2027 the fleet will have 94 aircraft compared to the current 71. With an average age of five years, they will ensure the optimisation of fuel consumption and environmental impact. The workforce, expected at 4,300 this year thanks to the 1,200 hires being finalised, will rise to over 5,500 at the end of the plan.
Rome’s Fiumicino Airport will play a central role
The strategy aims to establish ITA Airways as a key full-service carrier on intercontinental, international and domestic routes, with a focus on long-haul traffic. This strategic repositioning will further strengthen traffic at the Rome Fiumicino hub, which will play a central role in the Lufthansa Group's multi-hub model. ITA Airways will continue to be the airline of reference in Italy and to proudly represent Italy in the world, supporting the development of tourist and business flows.
