Italian ministers sign decree establishing Alitalia successor

Italy’s government has signed an air transport decree to establish a new national airline to succeed Alitalia. The government is referring the operator as Newco, but transport minister Paola De Micheli signals that the company’s formal name is ITA, adding that the company will “bring Italy to the world”. She says the decree has been signed with finance minister Roberto Gualtieri, economic development minister Stefano Patuanelli and labour minister Nunzia Catalfo. “A national airline is born that will have to play a leading role on the European and international market,” she says. It will represent a “clear discontinuity” with the past, and serve to “relaunch” Italian tourism. Creation of the national carrier follows months of wrangling after plans for an investor consortium to take over Alitalia fell through and the government stepped in to set up a new airline. “Newco represents the first step towards establishing a quality carrier capable of competing on the international market,” says Gualtieri. He says the management team will develop and implement a “solid and sustainable” plan. Patuanelli says the air transport crisis has provided an opportunity to think carefully about the relaunch, while Catalfo says: “We need a national airline to help Italy get back on track.”<br/>