A commercial partnership between German carrier Lufthansa and Alitalia would boost revenues at the ailing Italian airline by EUR 100 million annually in the medium term, a Lufthansa executive said on Tuesday.

Lufthansa needs a hub in Southern Europe and Rome's Fiumicino airport could be the right one, Joerg Eberhart, the president and CEO of Lufthansa's unit Air Dolomiti, told Italy's Chamber of Deputies Transport Committee in a hearing.

He added that Alitalia should join Lufthansa in the Star Alliance, the world's largest group of carriers, that allows them to cooperate in marketing routes and pricing to travellers.

Eberhart earlier on Tuesday told the committee that Lufthansa offered Alitalia a commercial partnership but was not ready to invest in it.