Italy’s national flag airline, Alitalia, begins 2009 with a new set of owners and a slimmed-down workforce. The bankrupt airline, which some had expected to simply disappear, was sold in December, 2008 by the Italian government to a €1.052 deal to the Italian Air Company. In January, Air France-KLM purchased a 25 percent stake in the company.
Alitalia merged with Air One, another Italian airline, in December and now will be strengthened by its partnership with Air France-KLM. The new company plans to have approximately 13,500 employees, fly 148 aircraft and have 70 world wide destinations.
Roberto Colaninno, Chairman of Alitalia, and Rocco Sabelli, CEO of Alitalia said: “We are delighted with the agreement reached between Alitalia and Air France-KLM. This is a highly innovative and ambitious alliance with important industrial implications. It has been built around Alitalia’s strong potential for growth over the coming years and on the
quality of the Italian shareholders’ entrepreneurial project.
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