OAG Travel News

Last ditch talks were underway today (September 29) to sign up the remaining two Alitalia unions to the rescue deal to save the bankrupt airline.

Seven unions, including the largest one CGIL, have already accepted the plan.

But the unions representing pilots and cabin crew were still holding out.

The talks began this morning in the offices o f the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

But as the talks began, there was renewed speculation as to whether Air France KLM or Lufthansa would be Alitalia’s partner.

There was optimism that the talks in Mr Berlusconi’s office would succeed.

One union official, who asked to remain anonymous was quoted as saying: “There are no definitive results from the consultations but what has emerged is an indication to move ahead with the negotiations."

The talks over the €1bn bid by a 16-storng consortium CAI to recue the carrier appeared down last week.

CAI withdrew its bid after failing to reach an agreement with the nine unions over its rescue plans which involves 3,000 job losses.

But as Augusto Fantozzi, the commissioner appointed after the airline went into receivership last month, put Alitalia up for sale, the major CGIL union signed up for the deal.

He has put a deadline of October 1 on finding a new buyer

After a weekend of negotiations, more unions agreed, leaving just the pilots’ and cabin crews’ representatives outstanding.

Under the CAI plan, it will buy the government’s 49.9% stake in Alitalia, and merge its most profitable bits with rival airline Air One.

The unprofitable bits would be liquidated.

During this current round of rescue talks, Air France KLM indicated it was willing to take a stake in the new carrier.

Its own take over bid failed earlier this year after it could not reach agreement with the unions.

Lufthansa has also now indicated it would take a holding in the new airline with one report saying it wanted a 40% stake.

AF KLM has sad it would take a stake of any size.

Mr Berlusconi who campaigned in the May general election on keeping Alitalia in Italian hands has said any deal would not lead to a take over of the carrier by a foreign airline.

Stanley Slaughter