Lufthansa is launching Lufthansa Italia, an airline in Italy that will have an initial fleet of six aircraft, the German carrier announced on Wednesday.
Lufthansa Italia will offer connections from northern Italy to major European destinations beginning in February 2009. Lufthansa will apply for an Italian Air Operator Certificate and will thereby establish its own Italian airline.
The announcement comes just weeks after Lufthansa CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber said the airline would not want a stake in Alitalia, the financially troubled Italian national airline, but would welcome a "commercial" deal should the Alitalia survive under a new owner.
The Italian government recently approved the sale of Alitalia to Compagnie Aerea Italiana (CAI), a group of Italian investors. But that deal is meeting opposition by some of the carrier's labor groups.
In announcing the new airline, Mayrhuber said, "Lufthansa Italia will position us in an important market that is characterized by strong demand and holds opportunities for buoyant growth in the future."
He added, "We will be offering our Italian customers an extensive route network from northern Italy to destinations throughout Europe. Milan and Lombardy rank among Europe's most economically important and strongest regions. A good route network connecting them with Europe's principal cities is essential. Lufthansa Italia is demonstrating a clear commitment to the region."
Flights to the first two destinations, Barcelona and Paris (Charles de Gaulle), will begin Feb. 2, 2009. Service to Brussels, Budapest, Bucharest and Madrid will be added to the timetable four weeks later. London Heathrow and Lisbon will be brought into the network with the start of the 2009 summer flight schedules at the end of March.
Lufthansa Italia flights will be serviced by Airbus A319s that have 138 seats in business and economy.