The group said the bid would be a precursor to a full takeover of Italy’s flag carrier, which is owned outright by the country’s government.

It confirmed on Wednesday (18 January) it had lodged a bid with the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance to secure a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

A signed MoU would then allow Lufthansa to conduct further negotiations and discussions on an exclusive basis.

Lufthansa has previously shown interest in ITA, registering an interest in January 2022 in partnership with MSC Cruises parent MSC Group. It is unclear at this stage whether the bid would involve MSC.

ITA Airways was formed when the Italian government stepped in to save Alitalia from bankruptcy, pumping in cash to restructure it. The move saw the carrier brought back under state ownership after it was privatised in 2009.

Lufthansa said talks would focus primarily on investment in the carrier, the commercial and operational integration of ITA into Lufthansa Group, and any potential synergies, with any deal subject to regulatory approval and scrutiny by competition authorities.

"For Lufthansa Group, Italy is the most important market outside of its home markets and the US," said Lufthansa. "Italy’s importance for both business and private travel lies in its strong export-oriented economy and status as one of Europe’s top vacation spots."

In October, Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines formally registered a joint expression of interest in acquiring ITA.