Lufthansa Group is ramping up efforts to integrate new member airline ITA Airways, starting with merging frequent flyer programmes.

Days after the Lufthansa Group closed its purchase of 41% of Italy's ITA Airways, the group began the process of combining with the airline.

The Lufthansa Group has begun its commercial integration with Italian carrier ITA Airways. The move follows Lufthansa's finalized purchase of 41% of ITA last month for 325 million euros and ITA's formal entry into the Lufthansa Group, where it joined fellow network carriers Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss and Brussels.

Germany's Lufthansa will start making money from its investment in ITA Airways from this year, the chief executive of the German carrier, Carsten Spohr, said on Monday.

Lufthansa Group remains a minority shareholder in Italy’s national carrier, but it’s already leveraging the benefits of its 41% stake.