The exclusive negotiations between Lufthansa and the Italian government to join the airline Ita Airways have been extended. The Italian Ministry of Economy confirmed a report by the newspaper “Il Sole 24 Ore” on Tuesday, according to which the deadline is now May 12th. That’s what the managers of the German group had asked for.
The talks are still going well, said a Lufthansa spokesman on Tuesday in Frankfurt. There are still a few details that need to be clarified in order to bring the project to a successful conclusion. However, the spokesman did not want to comment on contract details.
Since January, both sides have been negotiating the takeover of a 40 percent stake in the successor to the legendary airline Alitalia. The Italian state is the sole owner of the loss-making Ita. Lufthansa also wants to secure options for a later full takeover of the airline. The deal would be subject to competition law reviews at national and European level.