German airline Lufthansa has no interest in taking a stake in Alitalia German newspaper Handelsblatt said on Sunday, quoting a member of Lufthansa's management board. "Taking a stake in Alitalia does not come into question for us for the moment," Thierry Antinori told the newspaper.
He added Lufthansa was the biggest foreign airline in the Italian market thanks to Air Dolomiti and Air One. Italy plans to put half of its controlling stake in Alitalia up for sale early next year, opening the way for new owners to try to rescue the loss-making airline, officials said on Friday.
A cabinet meeting agreed that the state, which owns 49.9 percent of the flag airline, would put up for sale about a 25 percent stake.
Alitalia, which is forecast to lose more than 200 million euros ($264.8 million) this year, has been in turmoil for more than 10 years and is on its third chief executive since 2000.