Important news on the confidential negotiation for the privatization of the national air carrier ITA Airways. The definitive economic offer of the German aviation group Lufthansa should be formalized today to purchase 40% of the Italian company from the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Mef), the sole shareholder of the airline. A signal that the negotiations could close in good time by April 14th.

The CEO of Lufthansa, Carsten Spohr, is in fact today in Rome leading a delegation of Lufthansa for an official meeting with the MEF minister, Giancarlo Giorgetti, and with the president of ITA, Antonino Turicchi. The German manager announced yesterday that the last issue to be resolved "remains the economic evaluation of ITA Airways" given that "all the other obstacles on an industrial level seem to have been resolved".

The German press hypothesizes that Spohr will invest a sum of 200 million euros to acquire 40% of the company, through a capital increase. In recent months the valuation was around 250-300 million. The offer would be affected by the red marked by the financial balance of ITA Airways for the year 2022 (a net loss of 468 million) higher than forecasts. In any case, it will be an important liquidity injection.