ITA Airways Moving at ‘Full Throttle’ to Join Star Alliance

Italy’s national carrier has received formal approval to integrate into the Star Alliance. On Wednesday, ITA Airways said onboarding “will now move at full throttle” after completing administrative procedures. It represents the latest chapter in a process that is expected to conclude in early 2026.

The Star Alliance is a group of 25 global airlines that partner to provide easier connections and cross-company recognition for frequent flyers. Its best-known members include United, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Air India, and Lufthansa.

Although largely ceremonial, Wednesday’s developments continue a busy start to the year for ITA. 

In January, Lufthansa Group and the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) formally concluded their merger transaction of the airline. The deal saw Lufthansa acquire a 41% stake in ITA, with the Italian government retaining 59%. Notably, the contract allows Lufthansa to increase its shareholding at a later stage – something it is widely expected to do.

Founded in November 2020, ITA is the successor brand to Alitalia, Italy’s former flag carrier. Alitalia was an early adopter of rival organization SkyTeam, joining the alliance just a year after its launch in 2001. As Lufthansa is a long-standing member of the Star Alliance, it was only a matter of time before ITA cut ties with SkyTeam.

C-Suite Reaction

Speaking on Wednesday, Joerg Eberhart, chief executive at ITA, described the move as “a significant milestone in ITA Airways’ growth.” 

“The decision by our Chief Executive Board underscores the strong confidence our members have in ITA Airways,” added Star Alliance CEO Theo Panagiotoulias.

Given the Lufthansa Group’s shareholding in ITA and its official role as a mentor in the onboarding process, it was never in doubt that the Star Alliance board would approve the integration. What was less certain, however, is the timeline towards full membership.

The “early 2026” goal is ambitious, but should be made more achievable thanks to Lufthansa’s involvement – or as Star puts it: “Leveraging their legacy within the alliance.” 

On Wednesday, Dieter Vranckx, Lufthansa Group CCO said the company will do its “utmost to ensure a smooth and swift integration.” This echoes earlier comments from Carsten Spohr, Lufthansa Group CEO, who said he wanted “to push ahead with the merger quickly.”

Speaking in Brussels last week, Spohr referenced the ITA deal to highlight alleged over-regulation: “Our little approach to buy an Italian airline was in the end a 700-page document – that’s just one crazy example of where we’ve gotten to, and it needs to change.”

Data from trade body Airlines for Europe suggests regulatory costs have tripled in a decade to €15 billion ($16.2 billion) a year.

When is ITA Leaving SkyTeam?

In February, Lufthansa confirmed that ITA had “already initiated [its] withdrawal,” from SkyTeam. However, the unraveling and migration process can be complex, resulting in an extended timeline. For its part, ITA confirmed that its “exit phase” from SkyTeam will end on April 30, 2025.

Upon becoming a full member of the alliance, ITA is expected to add around 360 daily flights to the network. The largest growth will be in Rome and Milan, which are already served by 16 Star Alliance members.

However, it isn’t all growth. Last year, the defection of SAS Scandinavian Airlines to SkyTeam severely reduced the group’s footprint in the Nordics and Northern Europe.

Later this year, Star Alliance faces a further reduction in its network.

The recent mega-merger between Asiana Airways and Korean Air will see the former leave Star and join SkyTeam. While this will weaken its regional offering, other big-name Star brands including Taiwan’s EVA Air, Japan’s All Nippon Airways, and Air China should continue to provide robust competition for SkyTeam and the oneworld alliance in the Far East.