Lufthansa Group Takes Majority Stake in Italian Carrier ITA Airways

Updated: May 12, 2026, 9:52am CDT

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Lufthansa Group Will Soon Own a Majority of ITA Airways
Final Thoughts

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Last year, the Lufthansa Group acquired a 41% minority stake in Italy’s flag carrier, ITA Airways, paving the way for the airline’s integration into the Lufthansa Group and the Star Alliance.

It was widely understood that Lufthansa would increase its stake to a majority position, which it’s set to do next month.

“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. We were even faster: All customer-facing interfaces are already integrated today — with the exception of North Atlantic flights, where, as is well known, regulatory approval for our merger is still pending,” said Carsten Spohr, CEO of the Lufthansa Group and chairman of the executive board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

Here’s what this means for the future of ITA and its passengers.

Lufthansa Group Will Soon Own a Majority of ITA Airways

Lufthansa Group is poised to increase its current 41% minority stake to a 90% majority stake next month, pending relevant regulatory approvals.

After its initial purchase 41% purchase of the Italian carrier, Lufthansa Group will purchase an additional 49% of the airline in a deal worth €325 million (approximately $381 million), according to a press release on May 12.

After the transaction is complete — Lufthansa Group expects that to happen in the first quarter of 2027 — the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) will hold the remaning 10% of shares, though they could be purchased by Lufthansa Group as soon as 2028, according to a press release.

Despite the complex financial maneuvering happening in the background, not much will change for passengers at this point. As Mr. Sphor noted, the integration of ITA Airways into the Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance is progressing faster than anyone anticipated.

Lufthansa Group Aircraft at JFK — Three Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance partners lined up at their respective gates at New York’s JFK Airport. Image Credit: Daniel Ross

ITA Airways, at least from a customer-facing perspective, is a fully integrated Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance carrier.

Since the beginning of this year, ITA officially joined the Star Alliance, has adopted the Lufthansa Group’s Miles & More loyalty program as its own, inked deals with other alliance carriers, and more.

Hot Tip:

You’ll want to familiarize yourself with the Miles & More program if you have any upcoming flights on ITA Airways or the other airlines in the Lufthansa Group.

Final Thoughts

Lufthansa Group has announced its intention to take a majority stake in ITA Airways. The deal itself will occur next month, though it won’t be finalized until the first quarter of 2027, assuming all relevant authorities grant approval.

In the meantime, not much should change regarding the passenger experience. ITA is already functioning as a full-fledged member of the Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance.