Italy's flag carrier spent the past six months moving closer to Lufthansa while fighting high fuel prices, grounded jets and a cost squeeze. In May, Lufthansa said it will raise its stake in ITA Airways from 41% to 90%. Alliance and loyalty changes are done. The same stretch brought a strike, a new labor contract and, on October 29, a plan to cut 226 jobs. This report covers roughly May 1 to November 1, 2026, with a few earlier items for context.
Lufthansa takes the majority option
On May 12, Lufthansa announced that its Supervisory Board had approved buying another 49% of ITA. The price is the €325 million agreed in 2023. Closing is expected in the first quarter of 2027, and it depends on approvals from the European Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. Italy's Ministry of Economy and Finance keeps 10%, which Lufthansa may buy in 2028, according to the Lufthansa Group newsroom. Lufthansa's half-year report says the option was formally exercised in June.
ITA said the same day that it "will continue to operate under its own brand." That matters for travelers. The blue livery and the ITA lounge names are staying, per the ITA press release.
Euronews quoted Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr as saying all customer-facing interfaces are already integrated, "with the exception of North Atlantic flights." There, he said, regulatory approval is still pending. ITA CEO Joerg Eberhart called the deal "a step of major industrial and strategic significance for ITA Airways."
The missing transatlantic piece
The open question is the U.S. joint venture. United, Air Canada and Lufthansa asked the U.S. Department of Transportation on October 1, 2025, to add ITA to their antitrust-immune "A++" venture, as Aviation24.be reported. I found no reported decision. In January, Eberhart told La Repubblica he was confident of a green light by November 2026, according to ch-aviation. That date has arrived without a public ruling.
Leadership stays steady
The top team did not change. Eberhart is CEO and general manager, and Sandro Pappalardo is executive chairman. Both were appointed in January 2025 and serve through the 2027 accounts, per ITA's board list.
One senior hire turned up. PrimaOnline reported on October 1 that Benedetta Fiorini was named chief marketing and communication officer, reporting to Eberhart. Emiliana Limosani is chief commercial, network and incentive management officer, as shown in an April 29 release.
Results: a better operation, a worse bottom line
Just before the window, ITA's board approved 2025 draft accounts showing revenue of €3.2 billion, EBIT of €25 million and a net profit of €209 million, per ITA.
On July 8, ITA reported first-half 2026 results, as Avionews published them:
- Second-quarter operating profit (EBIT) was €37 million, €3 million above budget.
- First-half EBIT was €4 million, about €75 million better than the budgeted loss of €71 million.
- The net result was a loss of €29 million for the quarter and about €140 million for the half.
ITA blamed the net loss mainly on accounting for dollar-denominated debts after the euro rose against the dollar. Eberhart said ITA is "already close to operating break-even" and has only used part of the expected Lufthansa synergies. The airline gave a "prudent outlook" for the second half.
Lufthansa's report shows the other side. ITA's share of the result cost Lufthansa €58 million in the first half, including €32 million from currency effects on lease liabilities. A year earlier it was a gain of €84 million. I found no ITA-specific third-quarter figures.
Fuel, war and 226 jobs
Costs caught up with ITA at the end of October. On October 29, La Repubblica reported that ITA had told the Labor Ministry and unions it was starting a collective redundancy procedure for 226 people. That is 10 pilots, 90 flight attendants and 126 ground staff, or 4.3% of the 5,269 employees counted on October 15.
ITA's letter, as reported, cites wars, a sharp drop in ticket sales, grounded aircraft and automation tied to AI. It says jet fuel rose from $670 to $1,700 per tonne, citing the war in Ukraine and Middle East conflict, including disruption near the Strait of Hormuz.
The first notices could go out on December 30, 2026. The procedure could stay open for a second group until December 30, 2027. ITA does not plan incentives beyond those set by law and sector contracts, per Travelextra.
The unions answered on November 1. A La Repubblica summary says Cgil, Cisl and Uil want exits only with workers' consent and adequate incentives. Uiltrasporti asked Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to extend unemployment benefits by two more years. The procedure is not a dismissal notice. Numbers, criteria and alternatives are still to be negotiated.
Labor: a strike, then a deal
Labor ran hot early in the window. ITA staff had already struck on February 26. In January, Eberhart said ITA planned to hire 100 pilots and 400 flight attendants and called 20% raises unaffordable.
VisaHQ reported a 24-hour strike on June 30 over pay and rest rules, called by Filt-Cgil, Fit-Cisl and Uiltrasporti. A second VisaHQ report said ITA canceled 32 flights. The two accounts differ on scale, and I could not confirm the cancellation count from ITA or the unions.
Four days later, unions signed draft renewals of the national air transport contract and ITA's company agreement. They cited average total increases of 30% and an average one-time payment of €2,000, according to Filt-Cgil. ITA's board approved the agreements on July 23, as Avionews reported.
On September 30, a four-hour air traffic controller strike at ENAV led ITA to cancel about 29% of its planned flights that day, Il Sole 24 Ore reported. That was not an ITA strike. As of November 1, the official calendar lists no ITA-specific walkout. The next ENAV stoppage listed is November 6, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., per Scioperi Italia.
A young fleet with many jets parked
ITA says it has 109 aircraft, 75% of them new generation, per its anniversary release. The problem is availability. The Flight Club reported on August 22, using planespotters.net data, that 20 of 108 aircraft, or 18.5%, were grounded or parked. The A330 and A350 jets were unaffected. About 23% of the A220s and 20% of the A320s were out of service. Gazzetta.it counted 84 active and 25 parked on October 31.
According to ITA's redundancy letter, Pratt & Whitney engine faults and Airbus delivery delays left fewer aircraft flying than planned and slowed long-haul growth. In January, Eberhart put the damage from engine inspections at €150 million.
Deliveries continue. On September 10, ITA received an A321neo in Star Alliance colors, its second jet in those colors after an A320 on April 1. Aviacionline says it has 12 lie-flat business seats, 12 premium economy seats and 141 economy seats, and lifts ITA's A321neo fleet to nine.
Routes: Houston, summer sun and winter long-haul
ITA launched Rome–Houston at the start of May with an A330-900. It is ITA's ninth North American destination. Flights began at three a week and rose to five on June 1, per the ITA release.
For summer, ITA added Rome flights to Mykonos, Alicante and Trapani and started seasonal Rome service to Málaga, Valencia and Marseille on June 1. TTR Weekly also listed Heathrow at twice daily and a daily Rome–Delhi. It reported that ITA would resume Rome–Tel Aviv on July 1 with two daily flights. I could not confirm whether that service has run without interruption.
For winter 2026–27, ITA says it will serve 55 destinations, 18 of them intercontinental. Key dates from the anniversary release:
- Rome–Santo Domingo starts November 30 on an A330neo.
- Mauritius rises to three flights a week from October 25.
- Malé service is confirmed from December 16.
- Rome–Verona starts March 28, 2027, with 21 flights a week.
On October 13, ITA announced Rome–Caracas from March 30, 2027, with three weekly flights on an A330-900.
Japan and air taxis
On June 8, Lufthansa Group and ANA said ITA will join their Europe–Japan joint venture this autumn. It covers ITA's European network and its daily Rome–Tokyo Haneda flight. Customers of ANA, Lufthansa, Austrian and SWISS can book the Rome flight, and the newsroom release says passengers can use the lounges in Rome and Tokyo.
On October 29, Archer Aviation and ITA announced a conditional deal to explore an electric air taxi network in Italy. The release names no routes, dates or fleet size.
Alliances and loyalty: Star Alliance and Miles & More
ITA became Star Alliance's 26th member on April 1, with a ceremony in the Piazza di Spagna Lounge at Rome Fiumicino Terminal 3. Star Alliance Gold members can use ITA's lounges in Rome, Milan and Catania, the Lufthansa Group said. Travelers kept some SkyTeam benefits until May 2026, per the Lufthansa Group integration page.
ITA's Volare program ended March 30. Points could be turned into a voucher through June 30 and spent with partners until April 30, according to the Volare FAQ. Miles & More became the official program on April 1.
On April 30, ITA said new Miles & More benefits would start in May. They include Premium Economy award flights, more upgrade options, monthly mileage deals and a child award. Senators and HON Circle members get a booking guarantee on full flights, companion award flights and a free golf bag. HON Circle members also get more award seats, per the ITA release.
Lounges and premium products
This is the thinnest part of the record. I found alliance and policy changes, but no new ITA lounge opening or closure dated inside the window.
ITA's lounge access page lists its own lounges: the Hangar and Piazza di Spagna lounges at Fiumicino, the Runway Lounge at Milan Linate and Piazza Bellini at Catania. Lufthansa Group lounges count as partner lounges. The page is undated, so I can't say which rules changed in the window. Here is what it says:
- ITA Business Class passengers get in with no guest.
- Lufthansa Group Business Class passengers also get in with no guest.
- Lufthansa Group First Class passengers can bring one guest, plus a partner and children under 18.
- Star Alliance Gold members can bring one guest.
- HON Circle members on ITA or Lufthansa Group flights may bring two guests plus unlimited minors.
- Senators may bring one guest plus children under 18.
- ITA American Express Platinum and Centurion holders get one guest. Gold holders get two lounge vouchers a year.
The Hangar Lounge is ITA's flagship space. The airline describes it as 1,135 square meters with 205 seats, near boarding area A, open from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. It has Poltrona Frau booths, soundproof phone booths, showers, illy coffee and a Campari aperitif hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. It also lists a new Comfort Room and an Exclusive room by LEMA for HON Circle members, with showers and an à la carte menu. I could not date when those two rooms opened.
ITA's April 30 release said lounge access, Fast Track, priority waitlisting and extra baggage allowance were among benefits "already introduced in recent months." On board, ITA says a new menu of regional Italian dishes has been served on flights from Italy since April.
What to watch
- Approvals. The European Commission and U.S. DOJ must clear the 90% deal, and no DOT ruling on the A++ venture has been reported.
- The job talks. First notices could land on December 30.
- Fleet availability. Engine inspections will decide how much of the 2027 summer plan, including Caracas and Verona, flies on time.
- Next results. ITA's third-quarter and full-year numbers should show whether near-break-even operations hold.
- Lounges after closing. How ITA's lounge rules line up with Lufthansa's once the deal closes.
