Shipper MSC wants lead role in deal for ITA Airways

Shipping company MSC, which has teamed up with Lufthansa on a potential bid for Alitalia successor ITA Airways, wants a majority stake in the airline and to run the carrier itself, its chairman was quoted as saying on Thursday. State-owned ITA, which has replaced cash-strapped Alitalia and started flying in October, has already been looking for equity partners. On Monday MSC, controlled by the Aponte family, and Lufthansa said they were interested in ITA and had asked for a 90-day exclusivity period to study a deal. "The main point is to have the majority of ITA Airways. (Lufthansa) can enter as a commercial partner or minority shareholder," Gianluigi Aponte, founder and chairman of MSC, one of the world's leading shipping companies, told Corriere della Sera. He said MSC would want to manage ITA and would not be a "sleeping partner." Lufthansa has said it would use the exclusivity period to explore all the options for cooperation, "including a possible equity investment" in the Italian carrier. Lufthansa declined to comment further on Thursday. An industry source said MSC could take on most of the effort needed for an ITA acquisition, should Lufthansa opt for a commercial role only.<br/>