Lufthansa bid on ITA Airways could start more consolidation

Europe’s airline industry is in for a huge shake-up and the long-awaited start of the next phase of consolidation, now that Lufthansa Group and shipping company MSC Group have expressed their interest to purchase a majority share in Italy’s ITA Airways. If approved and completed, this could lead to a snowball effect elsewhere. Lufthansa bid on ITA Airways could start more consolidation.

ITA Airways, which started as a successor of Alitalia

on October 15, confirmed the interest of Lufthansa and MSC on January 24 in a brief media statement: “The Company announces that today it has received an Expression of Interest from the MSC Group and Lufthansa to acquire the majority of ITA Airways. MSC Group has agreed with Lufthansa its participation in the partnership on terms to be defined during the Due Diligence.”