STORY: Lufthansa tried to reassure investors about ITA's financial health on Friday (July 5).
It comes after the German carrier won EU approval this week to buy 41% of the Italian airline.
ITA Airways took to the air three years ago and has tried to shake off the troubled legacy of Alitalia.
Its predecessor burned through an estimated $10.8 billion of state funds in its last 14 years.
Lufthansa will give itself two years to assess ITA's financial health before pushing for a full takeover.
CEO Carsten Spohr said Friday he was optimistic on the economic viability of the takeover.
It took Lufthansa more than a year to win European Commission approval for its purchase of a stake in the Italian carrier.
It eventually agreed to a number of concessions for which the details are still being studied.
Spohr said he expected ITA's business costs to improve further.
He also believes the airline's leasing debt was not a major concern.
On Thursday (July 4), he also told Italian media Lufthansa could take a 90% stake in ITA as soon as next year.