As deadline looms, Italy works to resolve Alitalia investor lineup

With the deadline for investors to present a formal bid and business plan for Alitalia approaching, Italian government ministers are still trying to firm up the structure of the consortium set to rescue the bankrupt carrier. Italian railway company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) is set to lead the rescue of Alitalia and has until June 15 to present a firm bid and business plan for the “new Alitalia”—a deadline that has been pushed back already. FS is set to invest in Alitalia alongside US carrier Delta, with the Italian state also taking a stake and the economic development ministry having input in the relaunch. But Italian ministers and Alitalia executives have said that one or more additional investors will also join the consortium. With the deadline approaching it is still not clear who the new investors would be. “They are working on it, fingers crossed,” transport minister Danilo Toninelli told Radio24 June 4. Italian media have reported that infrastructure group Toto Holding is interested in joining the consortium but that FS is opposed to the idea. Transport and infrastructure group Atlantia, which is controlled by the Benetton family and holds the concession to run the Morandi Bridge in Genoa that collapsed in August 2018, killing 43 people, is also thought to be a candidate. Italy’s government wants the revamped Alitalia to form part of a multimodal transport strategy that will also boost Italian tourism.<br/>