Italy close to deal with EU on new Alitalia, Messaggero reports

Italy is nearing a deal with the EU to set up a new national carrier from failed airline Alitalia SpA and may get an informal go-ahead by next week, newspaper Il Messaggero reported on Sunday. Talks with the EC to green-light Alitalia’s planned restart have been mired in a standstill after several rounds of meetings. EU officials are demanding a clear separation between the assets and personnel of the bankrupt airline and its replacement, to be know as Italia Trasporto Aereo SpA, or ITA. The new carrier may initially employ between 4,500 and 5,000 staff and have about 55 to 60 aircraft, according to the newspaper. The EU is requesting that the airline doesn’t hold a majority stake in the handling or maintenance activities of ITA. The carrier is in talks with Lufthansa and Delta about commercial partnerships, according to Messaggero. Corriere della Sera also reported on the negotiations, citing Delta and United as possible candidates for partnerships in the key US market. <br/>