Alitalia deadline pushed back once again to Oct 15

A deadline for would-be investors in Alitalia to present their business plan for the relaunch of the bankrupt carrier has been pushed back once again, this time to Oct 15, a union source confirmed, adding that the postponement will allow more time for rescue partners to reach an agreement on the group’s industrial strategy. Italian railway company Ferrovie dello Stato, infrastructure group Atlantia and Delta Air Lines had been scheduled to present their plans by Sept 15, but the deadline has once again been pushed back in the latest delay of a long-running process that has been affected by political upheaval in Italy. In the latest twist, a new economic development minister, Stefano Patuanelli, is now responsible for overseeing the Alitalia situation after the previous govt coalition collapsed. <br/>