Italian railways group to start talks with Delta, easyJet on Alitalia

Italy’s state-controlled railway Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) said Wednesday it would start negotiations with Delta and easyJet to draft a rescue plan for Alitalia. Alitalia was put under special administration in 2017 after workers rejected the latest in a long line of rescue plans, leaving the government once again seeking a buyer to save the airline. It will be the third rescue in a decade. FS said in a statement that both Delta and easyJet had confirmed their interest in being the railway group’s industrial partners in the Alitalia deal. EasyJet confirmed that it was in discussions with FS and Delta about forming a consortium to explore options for the future of Alitalia, but added that there was “no certainty at this stage that any transaction will proceed”. Delta also confirmed that it has submitted a “general and non-binding letter of interest” to Ferrovie dello Stato. FS has always said it was willing to put in an offer for Alitalia provided it was flanked by one or more industrial partners. Earlier on Wednesday, Italy’s government said it was willing to participate in the creation of a “New Alitalia” via an investment from the Treasury on the condition that this was in line with European rules and that there was a sustainable business plan in place.<br/>