Lufthansa purchases 41% ITA stake in a €325 million deal

Lufthansa has agreed with the Italian Government to purchase a 41% stake in ITA Airways through a capital increase of €325 million. The Lufthansa Group also maintains the option to purchase the rest of the airline outright later. As a part of the deal, the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance will also commit to a capital increase of €250 million. In the initial round of bidding Lufthansa partnered with the MSC Group to compete against Air France-KLM and Indigo Partners. In the end, Indigo failed to bid for the airline, and Italy chose Air France-KLM as the preferred option. However, when