Deutsche Lufthansa AG announced Tuesday that it will be exercising its contractual option to acquire a majority stake in ITA Airways this June. Following this action, the airline’s ownership stake in ITA Airways is expected to increase sharply, rising from its current 41% to 90%. The Lufthansa Executive Board approved this decision yesterday, and the Supervisory Board consented to the plan.
The acquisition of the remaining 49% stake is set to take place at a pre-arranged purchase price of 325 million Euros. The completion of this transaction is contingent upon receiving regulatory approvals, specifically from the European Commission and the US Department of Justice (DOJ). Lufthanza expects the acquisition to finalize during the first quarter of 2027.
The company also confirmed that ITA Airways will be fully integrated-both organizationally and financially-into the Lufthansa Group. Lufthansa has already held a minority stake, possessing 41% of ITA, since January 2025. This current trajectory began in June 2023, when Lufthansa finalized a purchase agreement with the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) that included the option to acquire an additional 49% of the shares.
The exercise of this option marks the attainment of a majority ownership of the Italian flag carrier. The seller remains the MEF, which intends to retain the final 10% of the shares, which Lufthansa may acquire in a subsequent transaction in 2028.