by Michael Nienaber and Giuseppe Fonte
BERLIN/ROME, Jan 23 (Reuters) – German airline Lufthansa LHAG.DE is in talks to acquire a 40% stake in Alitalia’s successor ITA Airways, two people familiar with the negotiations said on Sunday. following a news report that a deal could be unveiled next week.
Discussions on a merger between Lufthansa – partly public – and ITA Airways are still ongoing and all outcomes are possible, said one of the sources on condition of anonymity, adding that the price of the participation was still in negotiation course.
The second source said Lufthansa and ITA Airways were in talks over a 40% stake sale, but reaching a deal could take more than a few days.
A Lufthansa spokesperson declined to comment on the information, repeating however that the German carrier was open to the possibility of a partnership with ITA Airways.
A spokesperson for the Italian, when asked by Reuters about a potential Lufthansa investment, did not mention the German carrier but said ITA Airways management would present a strategic plan to the company’s board on January 31.
A database will then be opened in the following days, he added, which will allow potential partners to have access to key financial documents in order to assess the value of the company.
Italian daily Il Foglio reported on Saturday that the two companies are close to agreeing on key issues and could present an agreement on a 40% stake next week.
(French version Benjamin Mallet)