Lufthansa CEO says interested in talks to create new Alitalia

BERLIN (Reuters) - Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) would be interested if there was an opportunity to create a new Alitalia [CAITLA.UL], the German flagship carrier's Chief Executive Carsten Spohr said on Thursday.

The group's finance chief Ulrik Svensson had said in August that Lufthansa was interested in helping to shape the Italian aviation market but was not willing to take over the struggling national carrier in its current shape.

"Alitalia as it exists today is not up for debate," Spohr said on Thursday. "But if there was an opportunity to create a new Alitalia, then Lufthansa as the No. 1 in Europe would be interested in talks," he said.

Bids for Alitalia are due by Oct 16.

(Reporting by Klaus Lauer; Writing by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Victoria Bryan)