ITA Airways joins Star Alliance as of April 1: Air China's leak was right, now just missing Lufthansa's final step
In the end, Air China was right. What seemed like a spoiler that escaped too early in recent days is turning [...]
ITA Airways
Star Alliance
In the end, Air China was right. What in recent days seemed like a spoiler escaped too early is turning into the final confirmation of one of the most important steps for the future of ITA Airways: From April 1, 2026, the Italian airline will officially join Star Alliance. The date had emerged clearly in the leak also relaunched by TFC, and at this point, it can no longer be called a mere rumor.
Star Alliance has already started the countdown on social media
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Making the picture even clearer was done directly by Star Alliance, which in a social post gave a date for the April 1, accompanying the teaser with a message that leaves very little room for doubt: Star Alliance family expands.
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Of course it is not a press release, but considering that there are no rumors of other companies about to join Star Alliance, it is like an open secret.
As of April 1, ITA will complete the journey that began with its exit from SkyTeam
Star Alliance membership Closes the journey that began in February 2025, when ITA had concretely begun to move out of SkyTeam orbit. to get closer and closer to the Lufthansa world. Since then we have seen a long period of transition made of progressive changes, messages that were not always crystal clear, and a temporary coexistence of old and new that created more than one confusion among passengers and especially frequent flyers.
From April 1, 2026, however, the situation will change once and for all: ITA will be a full-fledged Star Alliance member, thus completing the transition initiated after its exit from SkyTeam and strategic rapprochement with the German group. In parallel, also as of April 1, full integration with Miles&More, ending the final phase of the Volare program.
For frequent flyers, limbo finally ends
For those who fly frequently, the most important news is just that: limbo ends. For months ITA has remained in a middle ground, outside SkyTeam but not yet inside Star Alliance, with Volare set toward closure and Miles&More already on the horizon.
As of April 1, the picture finally becomes readable even for those who accumulate and spend points: ITA will join the world's largest alliance and will be able to offer a much more stable, predictable, and above all, integrated ecosystem for accumulation, redemption, and benefit recognition.
Now all that is missing is Lufthansa's final capital announcement
At this point only one last piece of information is missing, the corporate one. Today the only official confirmed fact is that Lufthansa owns ITA Airways' 41%, share acquired with the closing of the transaction finalized on January 18, 2025. The remaining 59% remained with the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance.
In the market, however, very accurate rumors have been circulating for months that Lufthansa is working to climb up to the 90% of the capital by June 2026. The news has been reported by Reuters and other industry publications, but as of yet there is no definitive announcement from the German group. So the point is simple: the industrial path seems already mapped out, but the final formal step has yet to come.
In conclusion
In summary, Air China's leak was correct, Star Alliance is now publicly confirming it, and From April 1, ITA Airways will officially join Star Alliance. It is the step that closes a long, sometimes confusing transition and marks the beginning of the true new era for the Italian company.
After the exit from SkyTeam, after the sunset of Volare, and after the increasingly obvious rapprochement with Lufthansa, now only the last stamp is really missing: the one on increasing the Germans' shareholding in the Italian company.
