Irish budget carrier Ryanair has lodged a complaint about Alitalia's restructuring plan with the European Commission.
Italy plans to relaunch Alitalia as a separate, privately-owned company, leaving debts with the existing company.
Ryanair director of regulatory affairs, Jim Callaghan, says: "This is the latest and perhaps most blatant example of the Italian Government doing whatever it takes to protect their failed airline, Alitalia. It is also the second time that they have used the trick of simply shifting debt out of the airline and into a subsidiary in order to keep the airline afloat."
Meanwhile, Alitalia administrator Augusto Fantozzi has disclosed there have been 58 submissions of interest for parts of Alitalia or its other subsidiaries under his administration, alongside the offer from Italian investor group Compagnia Aerea Italiana (CAI) for its main air transport business.
In a statement following the passing of the 30 September deadline for parties to submit expressions of interest in the group, Fantozzi said he had received an unspecified number of expressions of interest, but only the CAI offer for its main air transport business. These are being studied by Alitalia's advisors to see which meet the conditions for opening negotiation.
Italian daily Corriere Della Sera though cites Fantozzi as saying 58 expressions of interest were received for the partial assets of the airline, together with Alitalia Express, Volare, Alitalia Airports and Alitalia Servizi, alongside the CAI offer for the large part of its air transport business.
CAI re-submitted its offer on 25 September after securing a breakthrough in union support for its project. It remains on the table until 15 October.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
