Lufthansa is set to a acquire a stake in the Italian state-owned airline ITA on Jan. 13, bringing to a close years of talks, Germany's DPA news agency reported on Wednesday.

Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr announced the date 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.

Lufthansa is set to buy 41% of ITA, the successor airline to bankrupt Alitalia, for 325 million euros ($334.98 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)

(Reporting by Rachel More Editing by Madeline Chambers)