Alitalia chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo is aiming to make a decision on whether to invest in Air Malta this summer. There are strong cultural and commercial bonds between Italy and Malta and, in April, Alitalia confirmed it was considering taking a 49% stake in Air Malta. “We are looking at this with a clear focus and before summer—by our late June board meeting—we will make a decision,” Montezemolo said. Alitalia has signed a memorandum of understanding with Air Malta and it is doing due diligence on the would-be acquisition target. Once due diligence has been completed, the two airlines’ boards will decide on whether to proceed with a share purchase. Montezemolo said any deal must be zero risk to Alitalia, which is half-way through a 3-year restructuring plan. <br/>