Lufthansa has held talks for majority stake in Alitalia-board member

Lufthansa has held talks to take a majority stake in ailing Alitalia and would be interested in a full takeover in the long run, Lufthansa board member Harry Hohmeister said Monday. Alitalia, which was put under special administration in 2017, would remain operationally independent within the Lufthansa group, with its own brand, he said. Lufthansa has been a key player in hectic M&A activity in the industry, snapping up Brussels Airlines and parts of insolvent Air Berlin in 2017. "We are fighting for the Italian market and that includes Alitalia," Hohmeister said, adding the group's tough conditions for a takeover remained unchanged. Lufthansa is only prepared to buy in if Alitalia first undergoes a major round of job cuts under state administration and if it gets full control without co-ownership by the Italian govt. <br/>