The successor of Alitalia is arousing the interest of large European conglomerates: in addition to Lufthansa’s intention to acquire part of the company, IAG is also seeking to gain a foothold in the competitive and significant Italian market.
According to Il Messagero reports, in recent months informal contacts have taken place with ITA President Alfredo Altavilla. IAG sees the possibility of entering the competition for the Italian domestic market, which is dominated by foreign low-cost airlines.
IAG has something to get involved with: Vueling and BA Euroflyer could be some of the brands with which it would land on the peninsula, beyond the know-how of the LCC model that the group has learned very well. Although there is no official confirmation of the group’s interest, an investment in the airline would make a lot of sense for both parties.
ITA is clear that it has no margin or funds to become a player of local, intra-European or intercontinental importance. The long-haul routes announced are ad hoc and aim to meet pent-up demand after these nearly two years of pandemic. Whether the roads are profitable or simply sustainable in the medium to long term is an uncertainty that ITA will not be able to afford.
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ITA desperately needs a partner, and applicants know it: gaining a presence in the Italian market at a desperate price is an advantage few will want to pass up. The National Air Transport Federation has indicated that it expects the choice of ITA’s commercial-industrial partner “to materialize in the first half of 2022 in order to consolidate the development of the industrial plan, to confirm the planned hires. and to give a more solid perspective on the future of the national carrier. ”
The Federation recognizes that for the moment, “there are still inefficiencies in the network which can only be resolved by synergies with a solid partner of adequate size”. Therefore, neither Lufthansa nor IAG will be excluded from the competition to become that partner that will bring ITA to a scale that will allow it to survive, and thus cut the cycle of its predecessors. If it’s possible.
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