The Court of Auditors has given the green light to the Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers (Dpcm), which regulates the privatization procedure of the national air carrier ITA Airways. The text is ready for publication in the Official Gazette. A decisive step that opens up the possibility of presenting purchase offers by subjects interested in buying the tricolor airline.

The German aviation group Lufthansa remains the favorite, which I will formalize its interest soon and is the main candidate with which the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) could start negotiations. Also competing are the other competitors (US investment funds Certares and Indigo Partners) who had expressed their interest in taking over the airline.

The imminent publication of the Dpcm, by modifying what was previously foreseen by the Dpcm of 13 March, eliminates some constraints (the buyer must not be the majority shareholder) but introduces new ones (when the Mef leaves the capital, the majority must be owned by a airline company). Among these: the entry of the new industrial partner will take place through the subscription of one or more capital increases ( therefore no longer with the sale of shares) which will serve to strengthen the fleet (39 new aircraft in 2023) and personnel (1200 hires).

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