The European Commission and Italy have reached “a common understanding on the key parameters to guarantee economic discontinuity between Ita and Alitalia”. This was announced by the European executive at the end of the meeting in Brussels between the executive vice president, Margrethe Vestager, who is in charge of Competition, and the Minister for Economic Development, Giancarlo Giorgetti, with the Minister of Economy, Daniele Franco, in video link from Rome. The agreement also provides for an initial liquidity injection in the new company for 700 million euros, which will be followed by two other “tranches” of 400 million in 2022 and 250 million in 2023.
“The technical path for the birth of a sustainable company begins, the new Alitalia which will have to be operational as soon as possible, reasonably in August”, commented Giorgetti, who is still with his feet on the ground: “We have made some steps forward but it’s not over: there are other technical steps and more, but certainly today is an important step towards solving the problem ».
In the meantime, however, there is the first blessing of the Commission, which “is completing its ongoing investigation into the past support granted to Alitalia”, but “supports Italy’s efforts to prepare as soon as possible the launch of Ita as new and vital market player in line with EU rules ». (breaking latest news) Bra (Continued)
The priority now is “to guarantee operations for the summer season” then “there will be the new company that will start under the conditions that are being defined” Giorgetti clarified. And the decisive game will be played on these in the coming days, starting with the brand on which a tug-of-war was going on between Rome and Brussels. “The new company will be able to participate in the tender for the brand,” assured the head of Mise.
The Minister of Economy, Franco, had anticipated before the meeting that the perimeter of Ita will be “more contained than Alitalia in terms of routes, fleet and related activities but consistent with the plan of the new company and capable of ensuring also occupational development “. With the aim of “returning to the country a national air transport carrier capable of ensuring internal connections and outside national borders, of guaranteeing the development of operations and employment by operating at conditions of profitability such as to generate an economic return for the public shareholder “.
On the negotiating table, in addition to the brand, there are other not insignificant elements, starting from the cut to aircraft (no more than sixty) and personnel (which will be halved, 5,000 redundancies are expected). Furthermore, handling services (all ground assistance) and maintenance must be managed by a company not linked to the new Alitalia.