Alitalia: rebirth after near bankruptcy

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LX-LGX
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by LX-LGX »

Well, it seems that the final decision is for Thursday 18th September: before 14h30, the Italian government want all unions to have signed. Otherwise, it will be bankruptcy at 15h00.

Source: Italian press agency Ansa
http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus ... 55770.html

LX-LGX
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by LX-LGX »

"CAI ritira offerta".

Because the unions haven't agreed with the take over offer by 15h50 today, the Consortium withdraws their offer.

There is no plan B, so trust the last AZ cash will be used on Friday, to bring all planes and crew back to Italy.

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fc82091
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by fc82091 »

so the unions rather have nothing then something ?

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Airbus330lover
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by Airbus330lover »

A lot of planes on the market.... good news for companies with old planes (SN ? :P )
A lot of pilots o, the market.... sad news

FlyA330
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by FlyA330 »

Airbus330lover wrote:A lot of planes on the market.... good news for companies with old planes (SN ? :P )
Ever seen the airplanes of Alitalia? They are old. :shock: All these MD-80's are good for the scrapyard...

TCAS_climb
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by TCAS_climb »

...or for "Air DC Congo Airlines", whatever the name... :roll:

It will be interesting to see how fast these planes go and where. I guess the champagne must flow at Air One...

BelgianBoy
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by BelgianBoy »

Besides the mad dog, they operate and probably own ten year old Airbuses.

Most heavies are now Irish registered and are probably leased.

Regards

Willy

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skumfiduse
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by skumfiduse »

So... how will this story continue/end... anyone who can read Italian... ref. La Repubblica.it with hour-to-hour update?

loginas
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by loginas »

fc82091 wrote:so the unions rather have nothing then something ?
Why nothing?
I read on a.net that employees are promised unemployment benefits of 80% of their present salary for 7 years.
I would be really really hapy to loose my job on such conditions.

TCAS_climb
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by TCAS_climb »

Mmmmh, is it true ? I think it would have been the case for the 3000+ employees to be laid off if the unions signed the rescue deal.

Now there is no deal anymore, and that "golden goodbye"-opportunity is gone for ever.

LX-LGX
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by LX-LGX »

Ansa reports that LH and BA have formally announced today that they are not interested (anymore).

http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus ... 66603.html

LX-LGX
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by LX-LGX »

Good news for those flying AZ this weekend: it's business as usual at this moment, and it seems that the final countdown will only start as from next Monday.

Fantozzi, Alitalia's government-appointed administrator, then has to report to ENAC (Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile = the Italian CAA) about the decision from CAI (Compagnia Aerea Italiana) to withdrawn. ENAC then has to find out how much cash Alitalia has on hand if it wants to keep operating. Based on the results of their probe ENAC would then decide on whether or not to suspend the national carrier's license. Ansa says that such probes usually take a week to ten days.

http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus ... 74790.html
Last edited by LX-LGX on 20 Sep 2008, 17:20, edited 1 time in total.

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Atlantis
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by Atlantis »

Unions or not, Alitalia was doomed to disappear. This is a copy of the Sabena story with at the end strikes of the pilots, etc.
I think we will see next week the first cancellations.

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bits44
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by bits44 »

The end is here, barring a miracle Alitalia will cease operations this week.

Reuters report:

Italy in last bid to sell Alitalia

STEPHEN BROWN, Reuters

ROME — Alitalia's special administrator will make a last-ditch attempt to sell Italy's loss-making national airline on Monday by public tender before calling in the liquidators after a failed rescue bid.

Alitalia faces liquidation in a matter of days after a plan to rescue the carrier by Italian investors collapsed last week when unions refused to accept its conditions. Flights continued as normal on the weekend but could be grounded in a week's time.

With Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who made an election promise to rescue the airline, acknowledging no foreign airline was about to step in and that Alitalia could be doomed to bankruptcy, the auction appears a mere formality.

“We will proceed with a public request (for offers),” the special administrator, Augusto Fantozzi, told Il Messagero daily in comments published on Sunday. “It will formalize what I have been doing – without any results so far despite all my efforts – regarding the main assets.”

Suffering from the high fuel prices and an economic downturn that have hit the airline sector globally, Alitalia has been on the brink of collapse for years as political interference and labour unrest bled it of cash and caused it to pile up debt.

Mr. Berlusconi opposed the previous centre-left government's bid to sell the state's 49.9-per-cent stake, including an offer from Air France-KLM, saying it must stay in Italian hands.

The media mogul returned to power in May promising to rescue it and used his influence to rally 16 business groups in the CAI consortium. But CAI withdrew its offer last week after pilots and cabin crew refused to accept job cuts and new contracts.

The government rules out further state aid or, as some leftists propose, the renationalization of Alitalia. Italy is already in trouble with the European Commission over a €300-million ($435.2-million U.S.) loan to keep the airline flying.

“There is no possibility of another rescue bid so it could be that our Alitalia is heading towards bankruptcy procedures,” Mr. Berlusconi said on Saturday.

Mr. Fantozzi meets civil aviation authorities on Monday to see if Alitalia can retain its operating licence, and he must then decide on announcing the public tender for Alitalia's assets.

The authority says that if there is no feasible rescue plan, Alitalia's planes will be grounded within a week to 10 days.

Mr. Fantozzi reiterated he that he had received no offers for the airline operation, only some interest in heavy maintenance, cargo, handling and catering units and the call centre.

He had again contacted Air France, Lufthansa and British Airways about buying Alitalia or its assets, but said: “Nobody has stepped forward.”

Transport Minister Altero Matteoli made it clear that unless unions changed their minds about CAI's conditions, “in a few days we will ground Alitalia's planes as the law requires.”

Reuters.


A very sad day for Italy, and Alitalia and it's employee's
There are no strangers in the world, just friends we have yet to meet.

regi
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by regi »

Berlusconi should go as well. A promise is a general concept and there is no defence saying: "well, In Italy when we make a promise we mean the opposite"
The total collapse , disappearance and annihilation of Alitalia would be the most positive action for the aviation industry of the last 5 years.
My personnal experiences with them were so negative that I eagerly wait to receive a letter of one or other law firm threaten to sue me for bad publicity. I will overload them with truckloads with extra bad publicity. By the way, I still have the hospital bill after the food poisoning by Alitalia. Just to say I can proove what I say.
In the short term, it will be disastrous for thousands of employees. Customers might loose all their miles.Booked and paid tickets will be lost.

JayBeeke
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by JayBeeke »

Sorry for the motivated staff, but: at last!

cheers
JJN

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cathay belgium
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by cathay belgium »

Hey,

Why are people here hating Alitalia ?
I never expierced Alitalia, sadly enough, but as with my roots in Italy I was picking up and bringing many times relatives to/from the airport and they always flown AZ to FCO/CTA/the Milans/Naples and they NEVER
complained, always nice and most of the time on time!
Maybe I/they were lucky then, my grandfather had only 1 bad flight,luggage lost and a serious delay...
... flying with SN Brussels from CTA !!
Well, I will miss the green/white mad dogs/A321, green seats as I liked them and never expierced it!
But maybe the end isn't so near as you all think because all the shiva's,buddha's,gods in the world
forgot one thing : ITALY ISN'T LOGIC !!!,Italy isn't as the others and Berlusconi has strange solutions !!
I don't support this guy but that's Italy.
For the food poisening guy, Ok your flight was AZ but your meal is prepared/preserved maybe with AVIAPARTNER or another compony,so this could happen with every other company.
( I can tell such same stories for Iberia ...expierced myself )
But ya that are also meditterean companies, close to africa,...
(this is not my opinion but people think this way !)
If AZ crashes I will miss it, but maybe there is a ressurection: AZZURRI AIR in blue/silver colors...
Let's wait and see... :mrgreen:
New types flown 2022.. A339

BelgianBoy
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by BelgianBoy »

Cathay,

I used to fly frequently Alitalia during the period 1970-2000. It was always a pleasure with decent food.

I flew, beginning of the year Bru-FCO-NCE and return.

The leg BRU-FCO was alright but during the flight FCO-NCE, the food was lilited to one (bad) sandwich with half a glass of wine. During the return flight NCE-FCO, nothing was available. When I asked why, I was told that on "domestic flight" no food is served anymore.

Alitalia was nearing the bottom.

Willy

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dna
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by dna »

Why are people here hating Alitalia ?
Incredibly rude and indifferent staff, inedible food. Alitalia just tolerates customers, nothing more. Good riddance.

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euroflyer
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Re: Alitalia: the end is near

Post by euroflyer »

dna wrote:
Why are people here hating Alitalia ?
Incredibly rude and indifferent staff, inedible food. Alitalia just tolerates customers, nothing more. Good riddance.
I do not hate AZ, I only had limited short-haul experience with them (2 flights in the past 2 years, TXL-MXP and MXP-FRA). They were nothing special, but nothing especially horrible as well. Planes were quite new actually and seating, food and drinks do not differ that much nowadays in coach on short haul routes in Europe ...

However, we all in Europe (or rather our elected representants?) have decided to base the airline sector on competition, a somewhat free common market and to more or less stop state intervention (i.e. subsidies). Most companies and countries try to follow that rules (one may not like the rules, but those are the rules - you notice I am German 8-) ) and than it is simply deeply unfair a few countries and companies try to continue to play to different rules just to keep "their" national carrier.

But hey, I still think as well Berlusconi or the Italian Unions might come up with a last minute solution. I know my Italian friends (quite a few of them active in trade unions) and they might just play until the very end to simply get as much as possible out of the new investors. It did not work with AF, but the tactic might work with its Italian countrymen 8-)

Lets wait and see
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