(ANSA) - ROME, APR 30 - Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said Tuesday that "we expect the green light in the summer" from the European Commission to the German carrier's acquisition of a a 41% stake in Italy's ITA Airways.
    Giving an online news conference to present the company's first-quarter results, Spohr said "I'm optimistic that there is a solution" while warning that "there are red lines we won't cross".
    Earlier this month Lufthansa and Ita submitted new commitments to the European Commission in order to get the go-ahead for their merger after the EU executed identified competition problems linked to the operation.
    Under Brussels' lens were, in particular, several short-haul routes connecting Italy with Central Europe, some intercontinental routes between Italy and the US, Canada and Japan, and Ita's dominant position on the Milan-Linate route.
    The Italian Treasury owns ITA, the company that replaced the loss-making former flag-carrier Alitalia in 2021. (ANSA).