Lufthansa Integrates ITA Airways — What Changes for Pilots

The Lufthansa Group's absorption of ITA Airways is accelerating. On April 1, 2026, Miles & More officially becomes ITA's loyalty programme — replacing the airline's own Volare scheme, which ceased on March 30. Star Alliance membership is expected in the first half of 2026, completing ITA's exit from SkyTeam. For the Lufthansa Group, the integration adds a hub airline in Rome and Milan to a portfolio that already spans Lufthansa mainline, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Discover Airlines, and Lufthansa City Airlines. But the expansion comes as labour tensions within the group reach levels not seen in years.

The Integration Timeline

Lufthansa finalised its 41% stake in ITA Airways in January 2025, with the Italian government retaining 59%. The deal includes an option for Lufthansa to increase its shareholding — widely expected to happen once regulatory conditions are met. Since then, the integration has moved quickly: ITA moved operations to Lufthansa terminals at Frankfurt (Terminal 1) and Munich (Terminal 2) in March 2025, enabling shorter connection times at both hubs.

Over 100 codeshare connections are now active, allowing single-ticket bookings across ITA and Lufthansa Group carriers. ITA passengers gain access to the Group's approximately 130 lounges worldwide, while Lufthansa passengers can use ITA's lounges on eligible itineraries. The codeshare network gives ITA customers access to over 200 additional destinations via Lufthansa Group hubs, with Italian domestic flights to Sicily, Sardinia, Calabria, and Puglia now bookable through Lufthansa channels.

ITA's board approved a 2026–2030 business plan that includes new intercontinental routes, continued fleet renewal, and joint venture agreements for flights between Europe and both Japan and North America. Joerg Eberhart, previously at Lufthansa, serves as CEO, with Lorenza Maggio managing strategic integration as Chief Strategy and Integration Officer.

The CityLine Problem

While the ITA integration adds capacity and routes, a parallel restructuring is creating friction inside the group. Lufthansa plans to wind down CityLine — the regional subsidiary that has fed short-haul traffic into Frankfurt and Munich for decades — and transfer routes to the newly created Lufthansa City Airlines. The newer carrier operates without a fixed collective bargaining agreement, meaning it can hire pilots at lower rates than CityLine's existing pay structure.

The pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has pushed back hard. CityLine's roughly 500 pilots voted overwhelmingly to authorise strike action after wage talks collapsed in February 2026. VC demanded 3.3% annual increases for 2024–2026, arguing that CityLine pilots already earn below the group average. Management offered only a pay freeze unless savings were found elsewhere. The result: CityLine pilots joined a 48-hour strike on March 12–13, alongside mainline Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo crews who were striking separately over pension terms. Over 400 flights were cancelled at Frankfurt alone on the first day.

The dispute reflects a broader pattern across the Lufthansa Group. Following Germanwings, Eurowings, and Discover Airlines, City Airlines is the latest subsidiary designed to operate at lower crew costs. VC argues that the strategy systematically undercuts pay at older companies while offering no collectively bargained protections at the new ones. With up to 800 cockpit and cabin positions at CityLine potentially affected by the wind-down, the stakes for affected pilots are existential — not just incremental.

What This Means for Pilot Careers

For pilots considering the Lufthansa Group, the picture is complex. The group is expanding — record €39.6 billion revenue in 2025, nearly one new aircraft per week joining in 2026, and the ITA integration adding a seventh airline brand. Pilot demand across the group is real and growing. The European Flight Academy continues training cadets for all Group carriers, and Eurowings runs active direct-entry recruitment.

But the terms matter. A pilot joining Lufthansa City Airlines today enters a carrier with no established CBA — meaning pay, roster, and conditions are employer-set and could change. A pilot joining CityLine enters a carrier being wound down. And mainline Lufthansa crews are fighting to protect pension provisions that management says the airline cannot afford at current margins. Prospective applicants should research not just the brand they apply to, but which operating certificate (AOC) they would fly under and what contractual protections exist.

The ITA integration creates additional entry points. Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate are now hub airports within the Lufthansa network, and ITA's fleet renewal will require crew. For pilots with Airbus experience and EU work rights, ITA may emerge as a viable alternative to applying through the German-based carriers — particularly as the airline builds out long-haul routes under the new business plan.

For a detailed breakdown of the DLR testing process and what to expect at assessment, see our Lufthansa pilot interview guide. For pay across the group's airlines, check the Lufthansa salary breakdown.