Deutsche Lufthansa AG, parent company of Lufthansa and other European airlines, announced it will exercise its option to acquire a majority stake in ITA Airways, an Italian carrier, in June of this year. This transaction will increase its stake from 41% to 90%.

The acquisition of the additional 49% stake will take place at a previously agreed purchase price of 325 million euros (about $378 million). The deal is subject to regulatory approvals, primarily from the European Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice, and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027. Following this, ITA Airways will be fully integrated into the Lufthansa Group, both organizationally and financially. 

Deutsche Lufthansa AG has held a 41% stake in ITA Airways as a minority shareholder since January of 2025. The seller is the Ministry of Economy and Finance in Italy, which will initially continue to hold the remaining 10% of the shares in ITA Airways. In 2028, this tranche may also be acquired by Lufthansa. 

Carsten Spohr, CEO of the Lufthansa Group and chairman of the executive board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said:
“Following the acquisition of the first 41% stake in ITA Airways last year, we promised the fastest airline integration in our history. We aimed to complete all major integration steps into the Lufthansa Group within just 18 months.”

“We have not only kept this promise,” said Spohr, “we were even faster.” All customer-facing interfaces, he said, are already integrated today — with the exception of North Atlantic flights, where regulatory approval for the merger is still pending.

Passengers already experience ITA Airways as an integrated part of the Lufthansa Group, said Spohr, with unified booking, sales and fare systems; the Miles and More frequent flyer program; Star Alliance membership; and access to a global network of premium lounges.