The Delta variant
Delta, which is also a shareholder of Air France, is in tune with the French. However, the Atlanta carrier could represent a variant for Altavilla, if it were available to invest with an equity stake to integrate operations for direct flights between Italy and North America. In 2019 Delta was willing to acquire alone (without the French) a 10% stake in the newco Alitalia discussed in the negotiations with the Ferrovie dello Stato then led by Gianfranco Battisti, leader of a consortium that dissolved due to the withdrawal of Atlantia, which in reality aimed at having a safe conduct against the revocation of the concession of Autostrade per l’Italia.
Agreement with SkyTeam renewed
Meanwhile, Ita has renewed the commercial agreement with SkyTeam that Alitalia already had. This does not affect the possibility of making agreements with other partners, but it can give an advantageous position to Air France and KLM, which also have a code sharing agreement with Ita. Ben Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM, made it clear that the group is interested in an agreement with Ita to strengthen its presence on Linate for business traffic. The new agreement lasts at least a year, Ita can leave without paying penalties.
The third unknown, British Airways
In recent days, a third unknown has arisen in the discussions of Altavilla and the CEO. Fabio Lazzerini. British Airways and the holding company IAG, which also controls Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, are involved in the talks. In this phase we are witnessing the classic situation of “everyone talks to everyone”, a mantra of air transport, after all, exploring the opportunities costs nothing. Historically, the group that revolves around Ba and the Oneworld alliance has always remained distant from the sirens of Alitalia, therefore at the moment this hypothesis seems to be less likely than the first two.
The accounts of Ita
It is to be expected that the negotiations for the choice of the partner will enter an operational phase only in the coming months. Potential partners also want to understand how Ita’s accounts are doing. Despite the reduction in personnel costs and the pressures received by the political system and by the ENAC for the start of the activity, for the moment Ita has negative economic results, after all, the industrial plan also provides for this, which sets the operating balance in the first half of 2023.
Altavilla and Lazzerini in the Chamber
The point is to understand how the accounts really go with respect to the plan’s forecasts. Today Altavilla and Lazzerini are heard in a hearing by the Transport Committee of the Chamber and should update the state of implementation of the plan.