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Alitalia unions went on strike March 25 as part of a wider walkout of Italian air transport sector workers, and as the long-running process aimed at saving the bankrupt carrier looked to be advancing with news that a new industrial plan should be presented by April 21. Gianfranco Battisti, CE of railway company and potential Alitalia investor Ferrovie dello Stato, said a new industrial plan for the carrier would be presented before Easter. The previous target date for the plan was March 31. Alitalia workers have expressed concerns about the lack of clarity so far on how Alitalia, which struggled with tough competition from LCCs before it declared bankruptcy, can be turned around. The airline said it canceled nearly 100 flights and made schedule adjustments Monday as workers went on strike from 10 am to 2 pm local time. <br/>

Aeroflot Group carried 8.2m passengers in January and February, up 15.8% year-over-year. International traffic grew 16.9% YOY to 3.7m passengers, and domestic traffic increased 14.9% to 4.5m. Group RPKs rose to 21.5b, up 15.8% YOY, and capacity grew 17.3% to 28b ASKs. Group load factor dropped 1 point to 76.7%. Aeroflot Airline carried 5.4m passengers, up 14.6% YOY. International traffic increased 12% to 2.8m passengers, and domestic traffic grew 17.5% to 2.6m. RPKs were up 10.5% to 14.9b, as ASKs increased 12.4% to 20b. Passenger load factor was down 1.3 points to 74.2%. Aeroflot Group added 1 Airbus A320 in February, as 1 A319 was phased out. At the end of February, the group’s fleet comprised 367 aircraft. There were no changes in Aeroflot Airline fleet of 253 aircraft. <br/>