According to reports, mediation between Ita and Lufthansa is still underway to save the agreement for the sale of the former Italian national carrier to the German airline giant. In May 2023 Lufthansa and the Mef – which holds 100% of the former Alitalia – agreed on the sale of 41% of Ita for 325 million, as the first step of the overall purchase. During the week, however, the dialogue came to a sudden halt on the price of the second tranche of shares, with the Germans apparently asking for a discount – the valuations fluctuate between 10 and 100 million depending on the sources – and the MEF which apparently refused, asking for the full compliance with the agreement. The final price was initially set at around 830 million euros.
Tomorrow expires the deadline for the delivery to the EU of the remedies requested to safeguard competition. The hypothesis studied would involve the sale of a series of slots at Milan-Linate to Easyjet, while Air France and Iag (British, Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus ) would get slots from Fiumicino to the United States and Canada. In fact, Lufthansa already owns Swiss, Austrian, Brussel Airlines and Eurowing. For this reason, the EU has asked not to excessively concentrate the market in the hands of a single group with the entry of Ita into the holding. The parties would also be working over the weekend to save the agreement so as not to jeopardize two years of work which led to finding a strong partner in Ita and giving it a stable future.