The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.
Bloomberg
The Italian government is likely to select a buyer for new national airline Italia Trasporto Aereo in the “next few weeks,†according to the carrier’s CEO, Fabio Lazzerini.
ITA, the successor to failed Alitalia SpA, expects a transaction to be completed by the end of the year, Lazzerini said in an interview on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association’s annual gathering.
Italy has been evaluating proposals from two bidding groups, one comprising container giant MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co and German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG, the other led by US-based Certares Management LLC, a travel and tourism-focused investment firm, and involving Air France-KLM.
ITA expects to have about 3,000 employees by September, ahead of the planned entry into service the following month of Airbus SE A220 jets it will operate from Rome and Milan to airports including London City.
The narrow-body planes are part of an influx of Airbus planes due through 2025 as ITA moves to a more fuel efficient fleet, contrasting with the aging jets operated by Alitalia.