The patience of Lufthansa, which wants to buy the Italian airline in difficulties ITA Airways, “is not unlimited,” warned Thursday the head of the German group, who sent a letter to this effect to Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
The German company Lufthansa, an ally of the shipping giant MSC, is the favorite in the race to buy ITA Airways, born in October 2021 from the ashes of Alitalia.
The political crisis in Italy, which led to the resignation of Mario Draghi on July 21, has raised fears that the file will be bogged down, while in January the takeover bid for MSC and Lufthansa was presented.
“ITA needs a partner and we think we are the one,” he added.
“Too small to survive alone”
Rome had approved in mid-February the privatization of ITA Airways, controlled 100% by the State, after years of unsuccessful search for a buyer for its predecessor Alitalia.
Mario Draghi’s government intended to keep a minority stake in ITA Airways, which could be sold later.
However, the president of Italy’s far-right Fratelli d’Italia party, which is aiming for the post of head of government, warned Draghi, who has resigned, against any decision-making.
“As of September 25, everything can change and the relaunch of our national airline” will be the responsibility “of whoever governs,” Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday.
“MSC-Lufthansa’s offer to buy ITA Airways represents the best prospect,” Edoardo Rixi, a deputy for the League (far right) and a member of the Italian Parliament’s Transport Committee, said in a press release.
union concerns
He called for entering into “direct and exclusive negotiations” with the consortium.
“After the evaluations of the advisers” of the Ministry of Economy, the offer of MSC, owned by the Italian family Aponte, and Lufthansa “was considered the best proposal,” he added.
The Filt CGIL union, for its part, said it was “concerned” because “the ITA alone is not going anywhere.”
“MSC and Lufthansa’s solution is industrially the right one,” said Fabrizio Cuscito, national secretary of the union.
Some unions have even raised the possibility of strikes in favor of a quick decision, Mr. Spohr noted.
Source: BFM TV
