Alitalia's state-owned successor will only start flying in September - report

The state-owned Italian airline that will replace bankrupt Alitalia will only start flying in September - missing the peak summer holiday season, daily Corriere della Sera reported on Saturday, citing government sources. ITA was initially expected to launch flights in April, but its chief executive said last month that services would begin in July because talks with the EC over state aid had reached a stalemate. CEO Fabio Lazzerini said he wanted flights to start in time for the busy summer season. But Saturday's Corriere della Sera said the planned start date had now been pushed forward to September because of a lack of progress in the talks between Rome and Brussels. ITA could, however, reach a deal with Alitalia that would allow it to start selling tickets for the old carrier while it waits for the EU go-ahead to buy the rest of the Alitalia's assets, the newspaper said.<br/>