The SkyTeam alliance will have one fewer airline later this year. After the Lufthansa Group finalized its 41% stake in ITA Airways, the Italian carrier will pivot to the Star Alliance.
ITA’s “exit phase” will take place through April 30 and is “designed to ensure a structured and efficient process,” the carrier said on Monday. The airline expects to join the Star Alliance by early 2026.
“ITA Airways will continue to collaborate with selected SkyTeam member airlines through existing bilateral agreements, maintaining the benefits available to its customers,” the company stated in a news release.
The Lufthansa Group’s subsidiaries are mostly Star Alliance members. Lufthansa itself was also a founding member of the group in 1997.
ITA joined SkyTeam in 2021 in line with its predecessor Alitalia. In October 2024, the alliance lost one of its early members, Czech Airlines, which ceased operations.
But SkyTeam recently gained SAS as one of its newest members last year. The Scandinavian airline left the Star Alliance following the completion of an acquisition by the Air France-KLM group.
