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Italy’s rail company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) is working to get airlines easyJet or Delta involved in the rescue of ailing carrier Alitalia, Industry Minister Luigi Di Maio was quoted as saying by union sources Wednesday. Last month state-appointed commissioners running Alitalia accepted a binding purchase offer by FS. The flagship airline had been put on sale after being in special administration since early last year. The sources said that Di Maio had told labor groups in a meeting on Wednesday that the government aimed to own 15 percent of Alitalia, and that FS’s due diligence would be completed by the end of the year. FS has picked up Alitalia on set conditions, including being joined by industrial partners that help turn Alitalia around, sources have said in recent months.<br/>

Air France named Anne Rigail as the new head of the airline, which has been hit by strikes and trade union unrest. Rigail, 49, will report up to overall Air France KLM boss Benjamin Smith. Smith, hired in August to restore peace and prosperity to the Franco-Dutch group after devastating strikes that led to his predecessor’s resignation, has said Air France must narrow the profitability gap with its more efficient KLM stablemate.<br/>