Lufthansa bids for minority stake in ITA Airways

In a long-expected move, Lufthansa said on January 18 that it is “aiming to acquire a stake in the Italian national carrier ITA Airways”. The German airline group said it hopes “to agree on the initial acquisition of a minority stake as well as on options to purchase the remaining shares at a later date”. It said it had submitted its offer to the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance, which if agreed, would lead to “further negotiations to be carried out “on an exclusive basis” and “primarily” focusing on the make-up of a “possible equity investment” as well as