May 13, 2026 TnH Global

ITA Airways ready to enter a new phase in its journey within the Lufthansa Group

Deutsche Lufthansa AG has decided to exercise its option to acquire sole control of the Company

ITA Airways will continue to operate under its own brand, enhancing its Italian identity and upholding its role as the reference carrier for the country

Rome, 12 May 2026 – ITA Airways welcomes Deutsche Lufthansa AG’s decision to acquire an additional 49% stake in the Company, for a value of €325 million, thereby increasing its shareholding to 90% of ITA Airways.

The Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance will retain the remaining 10% of the share capital.

Completion of the transaction is expected in the first quarter of 2027, subject to approval by the relevant authorities, including the European Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.

This further step represents a significant milestone in ITA Airways’ development path and confirms the value of the industrial project built over recent years. The Company is now preparing to enter a new phase of growth within the Lufthansa Group, improving its exposure in the European and international air transport market.

ITA Airways will continue to operate under its own brand, which will be maintained and enhanced within the Group’s structure. Today, the ITA Airways brand represents a young, distinctive and recognizable identity, strongly connected to Italy and to the values of quality, innovation, reliability and customer focus that characterize the Company.

The increasingly close integration into the Lufthansa Group will enable ITA Airways to develop further industrial and commercial synergies with the Group’s airlines, while preserving its Italian identity. For the Company, this represents an opportunity to consolidate its role as Italy’s reference carrier, contributing to the growth of the country’s connectivity and to the promotion of Made in Italy around the world.

Italy represents a strategic market in the European and international landscape: it is the third-largest economy in the European Union and the Lufthansa Group’s largest catchment area outside the United States and its home markets. In this context, ITA Airways confirms its central role in connecting the country with the rest of the world, supporting tourism, businesses, trade flows and international mobility.

ITA Airways’ integration path as the Lufthansa Group’s fifth network airline will also continue, building on the successful progress already made and on major customer milestones already achieved. The initiatives implemented so far have enabled the travel experience to be progressively improved, strengthening connection opportunities, service integration and the quality of the offering.

Looking ahead, ITA Airways will continue to work with the aim of offering its customers an increasingly integrated, efficient and competitive experience, leveraging the opportunities arising from belonging to a major international group while keeping its Italian vocation, service quality and the value of its people at the core.

The transaction confirms the strength of the path undertaken by ITA Airways and opens a new phase of development for the Company, based on sustainable growth, network expansion, customer centricity and the full enhancement of its role within the Italian system.

“This new phase represents a step of major industrial and strategic significance for ITA Airways. Over the past few years, we have built a solid, recognizable Company focused on quality, thanks to the contribution of our people and the trust of our customers, and Deutsche Lufthansa’s decision is a clear demonstration of the good work carried out so far.” said Joerg Eberhart, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of ITA Airways. “We look to the future with ambition and responsibility: full integration into the Lufthansa Group will allow us to compete more strongly in international markets, while continuing to bring to the world the value of Italy, its connectivity and its capacity for innovation.”