The documents of the privatization operation of the air carrier ITA Airways, stipulated between the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and the German aviation group with Lufthansa, are on the table of the European Competition Commission, which should express the his opinion in January 2024. At the moment politicians and managers are negotiating some "remedies" with Brussels, but there are various problems that could affect the ITA-Lufthansa marriage.

The danger is that despite the reassurances on the rapid timing of the evaluation of the documents by Brussels, the interim European Commissioner for Competition, Didier Reynders, "decides not to decide", or rather opts to postpone the decision until after the the elections for the renewal of the European Parliament, that is June 2024. This "non-choice" would precipitate the ambitions of ITA and Lufthansa, whose plan is to start the modernization of the fleet, the hiring, the arrival of new capital for approximately 830 million euros.

This is the main issue that could lead to the postponement of the wedding. But that's not the only problem. Indeed, the list is long. Above all, however, there is the judicial line of the workers of the former national airline Alitalia: to date 44 sentences have confirmed the "discontinuity" between ITA and Alitalia, rejecting the requests for "re-hiring" of 1094 workers, while counting on the fingers of one hand those favorable to the appellants. This means that 2,800 former Alitalia employees remain eligible for voluntary redundancy or unemployment benefits throughout 2024.

For this reason, Rome and Berlin are anxiously waiting for Brussels to give the green light to the operation. A favorable decision by the European Competition Commission in January 2024 would put a tombstone on all the problems. But if Reynders "decides not to decide", then this waiting would rather resemble a slow agony.

On the topic, see also the article published by AVIONEWS.