Lufthansa reiterated that it is not interested in the troubled airline Alitalia, after newspaper reports said the German carrier could be shortlisted as a potential buyer. ‘For the time being we are not interested in Alitalia,’ a Lufthansa spokesperson said.

The dailies Il Sole 24 Ore and La Repubblica said that Air France-KLM and Lufthansa are among the companies that are expected to be included in the short list of possible buyers.

La Repubblica added that Air France is the front runner to buy Alitalia, noting that the two companies already have a commercial agreement and cross shareholdings.

Il Sole 24 Ore added that the private equity fund TPG and a consortium including Intesa Sanpaolo SpA and Air One will also probably be shortlisted, while the Russian airline Aeroflot could be ruled out.

La Repubblica added that a consortium including Emirates and Italian investors could also be included in the short list.

Alitalia will hold a board meeting on Monday with its financial advisor, Citigroup, to identify investors potentially interested in buying a controlling stake in the airline from the Italian government.

The economy ministry has a 49.9 pct stake in Alitalia.
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