On June 17, 2024, Ansa reported, citing "European sources close to the dossier," that the European Commission had given an informal positive technical opinion on Lufthansa's acquisition of Ita Airways. However, this approval comes with conditions related to competition safeguards at Linate and on short and long-haul routes. Specifically, this could mean relinquishing some slots at the Milan airport and opening certain routes to competitors. The final decision is expected to be announced on July 4, 2024.
The preliminary agreement between the Ministry of Economy (which owns Ita) and the German airline for this acquisition was announced in May 2023. It involves the sale of a 41% stake in exchange for a capital increase of 325 million euros and grants Lufthansa the option to acquire the entire Ita stake. The shared industrial plan envisions Ita's revenue growth to 4.1 billion euros by 2027, also through the enhancement of the Fiumicino hub and codesharing agreements with Lufthansa to expand intercontinental connections.