In the end, ironically, it will be the most sovereign government in recent Italian history that will sell – some say ‘sell’ – the national airline. After decades of defending the need to own a national company, despite the ten-year budget gaps, the executive surrenders to the evidence and privatizes ITA, although the convenience is almost entirely for Lufthansa, which takes almost half of the company by paying out a rather small number.
In the memorandum signed between the Treasury and Lufthansa, the share of ITA Airways for sale “is between 20 and 40%”. It is learned from sources close to the dossier, according to which in the end the German group “will buy 40% for an outlay between 250 and 300 million euros”.
Operating agreement in the summer
The negotiation between the Treasury and Lufthansa for the sale of a minority stake in ITA “is proceeding well” and the aim is to “sign the preliminary sale as soon as possible” and then have “quickly the go-ahead from the EU Commission”. ANSA learns it again from sources close to the dossier. “The government wants Lufthansa to take operational control as soon as possible so that ITA can benefit from the group’s synergies as soon as possible”, underline the same sources, explaining that Lufthansa’s operational entry is expected for “the summer”. in ITA.
Green light from the EU
The same sources explain that “the European Commission is not in an easy position. They asked the Italian government to sell Ita, the Italian government is doing exactly what they said and now they won’t be able to say: ‘you can’t sell it anymore’”. Therefore the operation “will have the green light from the Commission”.
What happens to former Aòitalia employees?
On the future hiring of Ita “there is a possibility” that the old employees of Alitalia could “be taken back” but at the moment there is no certain information“. So sources close to the dossier, underlining however that as regards the causes that are open now, “no kind of possibility because” ITA and Alitalia “are two different companies and therefore there can be no recourse to the new ITA”.
