Rome — Italy's government is expecting the first serious bids for its state-owned ITA Airways airline in late April or early May, the Italian Corriere della Sera newspaper reported on Tuesday citing ministerial sources.
The Italian government took ownership of Alitalia, which reorganized to form ITA airways, at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and is now looking to privatize it once more.
According to the paper, US-based equity companies Indigo Partners and Certares are competing with a joint bid by shipping company MSC Group and Lufthansa for a majority stake.
In the coming days, all three potential bidders are due to receive access to the company's books.
Corriere della Sera further reported that the Ministry of Finance, the current owner of the airline, prefers the bid by MSC and Lufthansa. Lufthansa is considering a minority stake, while MSC is seeking to buy a majority share.
The goal is to achieve a preliminary agreement by mid-July and to finalize the deal in December, according to the report.
"The bid by MSC and Lufthansa is the best one," the paper quoted expert Giovanni Fiori as saying. The deal would strengthen Lufthansa's tourism segment in Italy.
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