Marco Messalla/ROME
Alitalia and Italian low-cost carrier Alpi Eagles have agreed a code-sharing deal, which includes the transfer of five Fokker 70s from Alitalia's former regional subsidiary Avianova -which has now been absorbed into the national carrier.
Code-sharing operations will begin on 11 November, with Alpi Eagles adding the Fokker 70s to its fleet of four ex-Swissair Fokker 100s. A further two Fokker 100s are due to arrive before 1997.
Venice-based Alpi Eagles operates services to Cagliari, Catania, Lampedusa, Rome and Verona as well as to Tarbes in France and Arad in Romania. The former air-taxi operator, which began scheduled operations in May, promises to break even at the end of this year.
Meanwhile, another Italian start-up company, Padua-based Minerva Airlines, has opened services between Florence and Milan (Malpensa) and from Bari to Sicily under a code-sharing deal with Alitalia, using three Dornier 328s.
Italian independent, Air One is to attack the lucrative Milan-Naples and Rome-Turin markets, monopolised by Alitalia, with six daily flights. The airline has recently signed a deal with Air Sicilia to serve the Rome-Crotone route, using one of its two AI(R) ATR 42s operating with an Air One flight number and in its livery.
Alpi Eagles will get additional Fokker aircraft in deal with Alitalia
Source: Flight International
