Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.

EU Commission Approves Lufthansa Group’s Integration of ITA Airways

Daniel Ross's image
Daniel Ross
Daniel Ross's image

Daniel Ross

Senior Content Contributor

722 Published Articles 1 Edited Article

Countries Visited: 64U.S. States Visited: 17

Daniel has loved aviation and travel his entire life. He earned a Master of Science in Air Transport Management and has written about travel and aviation in publications like Simple Flying, The Points...
Edited by: Ryan Smith
Ryan Smith's image

Ryan Smith

News Managing Editor

309 Published Articles 451 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 197U.S. States Visited: 50

Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publicat...
Jump to Section

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

First learned that Lufthansa planned to take a minority stake in the Italian flag carrier ITA Airways back in 2021.

The agreement between Deutsche Lufthansa AG, ITA Airways, and the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) was subject to regulation, though that final hurdle has been cleared.

“The approval from Brussels is excellent news for ITA Airways and Lufthansa and especially for all passengers flying to and from Italy,” said Carsten Spohr, CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. “We look forward to welcoming ITA Airways and its outstanding employees as a new member of our airline family very soon. The decision is also a clear signal for strong air traffic in Europe, which can successfully assert itself in global competition.”

Let’s delve into the details of what this means for passengers and the airlines themselves.

ITA To Merge With Lufthansa Group

The main change that will come from Lufthansa Group’s 41% minority stake in ITA Airways is that the carrier will join Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, and SWISS and become the fifth airline of the Lufthansa Group (excluding Lufthansa subsidiary, Eurowings). Eventually, Lufthansa Group should control ITA.

This means ITA will have to give up its status as a SkyTeam member airline to join its fellow Lufthansa Group airlines as a member of Star Alliance.

Once the deal is officially signed off, passengers should be able to benefit from the merger almost immediately. Benefits include being able to book 1-ticket itineraries across each of the 5 airlines, now including ITA Airways, and Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport becoming a Star Alliance hub.

Lufthansa Group Aircraft at JFK
Lined up at gates at JFK: a SWISS Airbus A330-300 and a Lufthansa Airbus A340-600 alongside the Airbus A350 of soon-to-be fellow Lufthansa Group member ITA Airways. Image Credit: Daniel Ross

Details concerning the elite status and miles of ITA Airways’ Volare program are yet to be released. However, the stated goal is for ITA Volare members to be able to earn and redeem Miles & More miles on the first day after closing, adopting the program of the Lufthansa Group like the other member airlines.

Given ITA Airways’ status as a quasi-start-up airline, joining an airline group giant like Lufthansa Group is a strong business move — especially given the miserable success rate of Italian flag carriers.

Hot Tip:

The latest press release estimates that over 1,000 new airline connections will become possible with the integration of ITA Airways and the other Lufthansa Group airlines.

The cost to Lufthansa rings in at a cool €325 million (~$350.7 million) by way of capital increase. As part of the deal, Italy’s MEF will also chip into the pot with €250 million (~$269.8 million). The deal is expected close in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The deal didn’t come without concessions, though. These include transferring slots at Milan-Linate Airport (LIN) to a competitor in short-haul traffic, letting a competitor take over routes on which Lufthansa and ITA currently are competitors. Moreover, connecting flights from Rome to hubs of European competitors will also guarantee competition on long-haul routes between Rome and North America.

Final Thoughts

ITA Airways joining the Lufthansa Group means big changes for the airline itself as well as the European airline industry in general.

Watch this space for more updates.

Daniel Ross's image

About Daniel Ross

Daniel has loved aviation and travel his entire life. He earned a Master of Science in Air Transport Management and has written about travel and aviation in publications like Simple Flying, The Points Guy, and more.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse

Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy  and terms of service  apply.

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse
DMCA.com Protection Status