Italy risked failure in its latest attempt to bail out bankrupt Alitalia, after 2 companies involved in the rescue got cold feet, raising the prospect of at least a temporary nationalisation of the carrier. State rail operator FS said Wednesday that conditions aren’t in place to form a group to save the airline from liquidation. That followed a similar statement from the Benetton family’s Atlantia. A third potential partner, Lufthansa, isn’t ready to commit equity, FS said. The prospect of a failed agreement comes just ahead of a Thursday deadline for a binding investment plan. The govt set the timetable in a bid to resolve a decade-long headache and save jobs at the carrier, which has been estimated to lose about US$789,000 a day and hasn’t posted a profit for at least 15 years. <br/>
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The DoT is letting Delta Air Lines, Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic expand their joint venture on flights between the US and Europe without worrying about violating antitrust laws. The department Thursday approved antitrust immunity for the expanded deal, which covers more European flights than two previous ones covering flights between the US and both the UK and continental Europe. Some consumer groups argued that the joint venture will reduce competition and lead to higher fares. JetBlue Airways, which plans to begin flights to Europe in 2021, said US-Europe service is dominated by the 3 big airline alliances — it wanted the other carriers to give up take-off and landing slots in London and Amsterdam. <br/>
Delta Air Lines said it will suspend direct service between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and Port-au-Prince, with the last flight out of the Haitian capital Jan 9. A spokesperson cited a "soft demand environment" for the change. "Even as Delta strengthens its overall presence throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, the airline must respond to market conditions to maintain its long-term viability," the airline said. The carrier started service to Port-au-Prince in 2009, with flights from New York JFK. Seasonal route offerings from New York ended earlier this year. Flights between Atlanta and Port-au-Prince began in 2012. Delta, which recently announced upgrades to its international main cabin, presented plans earlier this year to grow capacity on flights outside the US by 3%. <br/>