BERLIN (Reuters) -Lufthansa is set to acquire a stake in Italian state-owned airline ITA on Jan. 13, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Wednesday, bringing to a close years of talks.

DPA news agency first reported on the date, which Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr announced 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 ($335 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 Klaus Lauer and Rachel More, editing by Madeline Chambers and Thomas Seythal)