Lufthansa has no plans for majority stake in Italy’s ITA

BERLIN (Reuters) – Lufthansa has no plans to take a majority stake in Alitalia’s successor ITA Airways, the German airline’s CEO said on Thursday, telling investors not to worry about his pursuit of a business that racked up years of losses before its relaunch.

Lufthansa has teamed up with shipping group MSC to express an interest in ITA and could soon be given access to its books after the Italian government detailed ways to sell the slimmed down airline.

MSC has said it would take a majority stake in ITA, with Lufthansa as a junior partner.

Asked whether Lufthansa wanted a majority stake in ITA, CEO Carsten Spohr said that was “far away” from its intentions.

He said the German airline would look carefully at ITA’s finances, referring to Alitalia’s years of losses and failed attempts to clinch an alliance.

“We know what we are doing in Italy, no worry,” said Spohr.

“I hear my shareholders – don’t worry we know there is a legacy.”

It was the Italian government that put the two suitors together.

“The government linked us up with MSC, and they asked us for a blind date, and we fell in love,” said Spohr.

The chief executive met MSC’s Italian owners – the Aponte family – in person as he regarded this as crucial for a common project of this size, he said.

(Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach; Writing by Madeline Chambers and Francesca Landini; Editing by Emma Thomasson and Mark Potter)