Lufthansa Accelerates ITA Integration With SkyTeam Exit and Star Alliance Shift, and More
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Lufthansa’s Southern Strategy: ITA Airways Integration and Airline Alliance Realignment Explained
Lufthansa Group has kickstarted ITA Airways' integration following its 41% acquisition, marking a pivotal shift in European aviation alliances.
ITA already started its SkyTeam exit and will conclude by April 30, 2025, with Star Alliance membership slated for early 2026. It's a strategic realignment that reshapes loyalty benefits, operational synergies, and global connectivity.
This move accelerates Lufthansa’s dominance in Southern Europe while positioning ITA for profitability within 2025 (expected).
Key Points
- Alliance Transition: ITA's SkyTeam exit concludes April 30, 2025, with Star Alliance accession starting H1 2026.
- Loyalty Integration: Immediate reciprocity between Lufthansa's Miles & More (36M members) and ITA's Volare (2.7M members).
- Terminal Consolidation: Starting March 30, 2025, ITA relocates to Lufthansa terminals in Frankfurt (T1) and Munich (T2) to streamline connections.
- Codeshares & Network: Over 100 codeshare routes go live on March 30, 2025; expands to 250+ Lufthansa destinations once fully integrated.
- Lounge Access: Reciprocal lounge access also begins March 30, 2025, including 130 Lufthansa lounges and ITA's facilities.
- Profitability Target: Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr projects ITA will turn profitable within 2025.
What It Means
I see this entire move as a deliberate play by Lufthansa to fortify its Southern European footprint, leveraging ITA’s Rome hub to counter Air France-KLM and IAG’s strongholds.
The alliance shift weakens SkyTeam’s Mediterranean presence but bolsters Star Alliance’s transatlantic reach, especially with United and Air Canada partnerships.
For travelers, seamless loyalty perks and expanded codeshares mean smoother intra-Europe and long-haul itineraries—though SkyTeam flyers lose a key Italian partner.
Operationally, terminal consolidation and schedule optimization should reduce layover times, but the 10+ month gap between SkyTeam exit and Star accession risks loyalty program fragmentation.
Lufthansa’s move here signals long-term confidence in ITA’s post-Alitalia revival.
