Alitalia lifeline revived

There is speculation that Italy’s beleaguered airline Alitalia could be saved at the last minute.

The debt-ridden carrier has until Thursday to present a new rescue plan or lose it’s operating licence.

And, in an attempt to stave off collapse Italy’s government held a flurry of last ditch meetings.

Italian Welfare Minister Maurizio Sacconi said:

‘‘We’re trying to restart negotiations and reach an a quick agreement, but time is of the essence.’‘

Government officials are hopeful unions will accept a revived deal from the business consortium CAI, which pulled out of talks last week.

Head of CGIL Union Guglielmo Epifani said:

‘‘We need a big international backer, because this is what’s happening in the airline industry at the moment. It’s a complicated market that requires international alliances.’‘

It’s also rumoured Air France KLM could rejoin the fray by becoming part of the CAI rescue consortium.

Last week, the union representing Alitalia’s pilots and cabin crew, rejected a deal which would have seen more than 3000 job cuts.

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