Lufthansa is set to acquire a stake in Italian state-owned airline ITA on Jan. 13, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Wednesday, bringing to a close years of talks.

DPA news agency first reported on the date, which Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr announced at an employee event, according to the report.

A Lufthansa spokesperson declined to comment on the specific date and reiterated that the acquisition was expected to close in early 2025.

An Italian carrier Italia Trasporto Aereo (ITA Airways) plane parks next to a Lufthansa plane at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Fiumicino, near Rome, Italy, September 23, 2024. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

Lufthansa is set to buy 41% of ITA, the successor airline to bankrupt Alitalia, for 325 million euros ($335 million).

The European Commission approved in November a package of competition remedies securing more routes for the German flag carrier's peers, paving the way for the deal to go through.

($1 = 0.9702 euros)