Troubled Italian carrier Alitalia is to continue with regular scheduled flights, at least until September 22, according to the airline’s government-appointed commissioner. “Much depends on what will happen in the next few days,” Commissioner Augusto Fantozzi said in the aftermath on September 18 of the collapse of a bid by a consortium of private investors to take control of the state’s controlling stake in Alitalia. Fantozzi said that by law the company was compelled to continue providing services as long as funds are available.
The commissioner indicated last week that money to buy fuel was in short supply. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who championed the CAI consortium’s bid, including a rescue plan involving at least 3,000 job cuts, has expressed hope that Alitalia can still be saved. The premier was scheduled to hold talks with cabinet members over the weekend to consider various options to keep Alitalia afloat, including seeking alliances with foreign carriers.
Italian news reports have mentioned Germany’s Lufthansa, British Airways and Air France- KLM as possible partners. Berlusconi also reportedly believes he can bring back on board CAI - formed in August, under the leadership of motorcycle company Piaggio‘s CEO Roberto Colaninno, specifically with the aim to buy out Alitalia. CAI withdrew its offer on September 18 after six of the nine unions representing Alitalia’s 20,000 employees rejected the job-slashing rescue plan. Berlusconi has blamed the unions, particularly the main leftist confederation, CGIL, which he says had a political agenda to ensure CAI’s bid would fail thus embarassing his conservative government. CGIL has said the government is looking for “scapegoats” to deflect attention from it own inability to ensure that CAI would present a “less-rigid” plan.
Berlusconi campaigned prior to his April election triumph for Alitalia to remain in Italian hands and championed CAI’s bid as an alternative to one made earlier this year by French-Dutch airline Air France-KLM. Air France-KLM withdrew its bid, which was supported by Italy’s previous centre-left government, when it became clear that Berlusconi, once in office, would have opposed it. It is estimated that Alitalia loses around two million Euro a day.