Category Archives: ITA Airways

ITA Airways takes delivery of its first Airbus A330neo

ITA Airways, Italy’s national carrier, has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330-900, on lease from Air Lease Corporation, during a ceremony held in Toulouse. The A330neo will join the ITA Airways fleet in June to serve its long-haul routes and new intercontinental destinations. 

The A330neo is the latest-generation aircraft type from Airbus to join the ITA Airways’ fleet. The airline already operates all Airbus aircraft Families with a fleet of 68 Airbus aircraft (4 A220s, 50 A320 Family, 8 A330-200s and 6 A350-900s).

Lufthansa Group reaches agreement on the acquisition of 41 per cent stake in ITA Airways

Deutsche Lufthansa AG on May 25 reached an agreement with the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze, MEF) to acquire a minority stake in the Italian national carrier ITA Airways (Italia Trasporto Aereo S.p.A.). Lufthansa will obtain a 41 percent stake in ITA for EUR 325m through a capital increase.

The capital contribution thus directly benefits the company. As part of the agreement, the MEF has also committed to a capital increase of EUR 250m into ITA. In addition, the MEF and Lufthansa agreed on options to enable a potential acquisition of the remaining shares by Lufthansa at a later date. The purchase price for the remaining shares will be based on the business development of ITA Airways.

The contractual finalization of the agreement is expected to be completed shortly. The acquisition of the minority stake is subject to approval by the relevant authorities. Upon closing of this transaction, ITA Airways and Lufthansa Group are expected to immediately start their cooperation at a commercial and operational level. As a network airline, ITA will closely cooperate with Lufthansa Group to benefit from group synergies.

ITA Airways will become the fifth network carrier in Lufthansa Group’s multi-brand and multi-hub system. Italy represents the most important market outside the Group’s home base countries and the United States. Italy is the third-largest economy in the EU in terms of gross domestic product, with a strong export-oriented economy. This is one among many reasons why business travel to and from Italy is important. For private travelers, the Mediterranean country is one of the most popular leisure destinations in the world.

Carsten Spohr, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG says: “Today’s agreement will lead to a win-win situation for Italy, ITA Airways and Lufthansa Group. And it is good news for Italian consumers and for Europe, because a stronger ITA will invigorate competition in the Italian market. As a young company with a modern fleet, and with its efficient and expanding hub in Rome, ITA is a perfect fit for Lufthansa Group. In Milan, ITA serves a strong catchment area which also offers potential for growth. As part of the Lufthansa Group family, ITA can develop into a sustainable and profitable airline, connecting Italy with Europe and the world. At the same time, this investment will enable us to continue our growth in one of our most important markets.”

ITA Airways was founded in November 2020 and has approximately 4,000 employees today. Headquartered in Rome, the airline welcomes more than 10 million passengers per year and is running a modern fleet of 66 Airbus aircraft. The hub in Rome is ideally situated to further diversify ITA’s network towards Africa and Latin America, offering its customers an improved connectivity to the Southern hemisphere. Currently, ITA serves 64 destinations: 21 domestic, 33 international and 10 intercontinental routes.

As part of Lufthansa Group, ITA will remain a standalone airline with its own management and a strong brand identity – in line with Lufthansa Group’s successful multi-hub, multi-brand and multi-AOC strategy. At the same time, ITA can benefit from synergies of the Group, such as access to the partner network, central revenue management and the use of Lufthansa Group’s global sales and marketing channels.

To ensure that ITA’s growth is sustainable, Lufthansa Group intends to extend the intermodal transport for feeder traffic within Italy. For this purpose, Lufthansa Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Italian state railroad company Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane S.p.A. last February. The aim of the partnership is to increasingly transport passengers in Italy with rail connections to and from their respective flight connections at various Italian airports. Lufthansa Group already operates similar intermodal cooperation programs in its home markets, including Deutsche Bahn, Austrian ÖBB and Swiss Federal Railways.

ITA Airways’ special livery promoting Friuli Venezia Giulia

ITA Airways Airbus A320-216 EI-DTG (msn 3921) (Friuli Venezia Giulia) LHR (Wingnut). Image: 960029.

ITA Airways has introduced a special livery promoting Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Friuli Venezia Giulia is one of the 20 regions of Italy and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste on the Gulf of Trieste, a bay on the Adriatic Sea.

Ski area in the region

According to the region’s website, “A border region sandwiched between the Friulian Dolomites and the Upper Adriatic, blessed with an immense cultural heritage resulting from the influence of different cultures and peoples, cosmopolitan and modern, Friuli Venezia Giulia will also seduce you with its temptations of relaxation, sport and fun.”

Top Copyright Photo: ITA Airways Airbus A320-216 EI-DTG (msn 3921) (Friuli Venezia Giulia) LHR (Wingnut). Image: 960029.

ITA AIrways aircraft photo gallery:

Lufthansa submits an offer to acquire a stake in ITA Airways

Deutsche Lufthansa AG is aiming to acquire a stake in the Italian national carrier ITA Airways (Italia Trasporto Aereo S.p.A.). The plan is to agree on the initial acquisition of a minority stake as well as on options to purchase the remaining shares at a later date. Today, the company submitted an offer to the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministero dell’economia e delle finanze) to conclude a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this respect. Contingent on both parties signing this MoU, further negotiations and discussions would be conducted on an exclusive basis.

These talks would primarily focus on the form of a possible equity investment, the commercial and operational integration of ITA into the Lufthansa Airline Group, as well as resulting synergies. In case of a binding agreement is reached, its implementation would be subject to approval by the relevant authorities.

For Lufthansa Group, Italy is the most important market outside of its home markets and the US. Italy’s importance for both business and private travel lies in its strong export-oriented economy and status as one of Europe’s top vacation spots.