The new chapter, still to be written, of the shared history of ITA Airways and Lufthansa officially kicked off on 15 January 2025, at the end of the operation that led LH to acquire a 41% stake in the Italian carrier and contribute the initial €325 million.
ITA’s new board has five members
Two years after the initial expression of interest by the Lufthansa group there is now a new CEO, Jörg Eberhart (German by birth but Italian by adoption, former president of Air Dolomiti) and a new president, Sandro Pappalardo (an Air Force pilot, ENIT advisor and with a past as tourism advisor of the Sicily Region), and a new board of directors. The latter consists of five members: Eberhart and Pappalardo, Antonella Ballone, Lorenza Maggio and Efrem Angelo Valeriani.
new CEO Jörg Eberhart
“A renewed vision of development, innovation and sustainability”
“I am proud and honoured to have been appointed to this prestigious post,- said Eberhart. -After more than two years of hard work, this new chapter in the company's history will allow us to strengthen our position and develop strategic synergies that will enhance the growth and solidity of ITA Airways as a key Italian carrier, ready to guarantee the country greater connectivity and giving passengers a wider choice of destinations, with a renewed vision of development, innovation and sustainability.”
Lufthansa will invest a total of €829 million in ITA
The Ministry of Economy and Finance, which currently holds 59% of ITA's shares, will eventually sell them to the Germans when Lufthansa exercises its options for control between the end of 2025 and 2029. The German group will then be able to acquire a further 49% by paying an additional €325 million. The final step is expected after 2029, when Lufthansa will be able to exercise its option to acquire the final 10% for €79 million and a total investment of €829 million.
