Alitalia Shutting Down Tomorrow? (UPDATED)

[Matt Molnar]

AFP:

Alitalia 'can guarantee no flights after Sunday'
Sep 13 10:17 AM US/Eastern

Failing Italian airline Alitalia cannot guarantee any flights after Sunday because of lack of fuel, unions quoted special administrator Augusto Fantozzi as saying Saturday.

"Up to tomorrow (Sunday) we have guaranteed flights, but not on Monday because no-one will supply us with kerosene," Fantozzi reportedly said after summoning the nine unions for last-ditch talks to save the airline.

He also warned that with no agreement he would be obliged to start the procedure for dismissing the crews of aircraft currently not being used by the company.

Investors who were prepared to put up one billion euros (1.4 billion dollars) to rescue Alitalia said Friday they were pulling out of negotiations, blaming union intransigence. [Article (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080913141703.eo7x5wpo&show_article=1)]

[T-Bird76]

Wow good god....this really could be it for AZ. I guess pigs do fly. Vin is over there now and flew AZ. Saw this cool AZ marble sidewalk Ad when I was in Venice. I hope they continue to fly but this might be it.

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/IMG_7600.jpg

[SengaB]

Wow I am glad I went out for the AZA MD-11 Cargo in (New Colors) last week.

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/azafinal01.jpg


Senga

[Matt Molnar]

It sounds like the unions are completely out of their minds, unwilling to accept any concessions despite the airline being on its last legs and that is why the takeover talks failed. The pilots union, for example, is unwilling to increase the number of hours they work despite having perhaps the most lucrative contract in the industry...their pilots work an average of 500 hours a year, which is 100 less than most other major European carriers like Lufthansa.

[Jetinder]

Senga

Thats a brilliant photo of a DC10 with "steam off wings" .......i bet when Concorde had been take off the same run way people in New York must have got a lot of stunning photos.

At Heathrow it wasn't that easy to get photos as good as yours.


The pilots union, for example, is unwilling to increase the number of hours they work despite having perhaps the most lucrative contract in the industry...their pilots work an average of 500 hours a year, which is 100 less than most other major European carriers like Lufthansa.

Those guys are idiots, they need to compromise to keep their jobs....... if they don't then they are kicking them selfs in the nuts and they will loose out big time.

Isn't the Italian government bank rolling the airline ?

[T-Bird76]

Senga

Thats a brilliant photo of a DC10 with "steam off wings" .......i bet when Concorde had been take off the same run way people in New York must have got a lot of stunning photos.

At Heathrow it wasn't that easy to get photos as good as yours.


The pilots union, for example, is unwilling to increase the number of hours they work despite having perhaps the most lucrative contract in the industry...their pilots work an average of 500 hours a year, which is 100 less than most other major European carriers like Lufthansa.

Those guys are idiots, they need to compromise to keep their jobs....... if they don't then they are kicking them selfs in the nuts and they will loose out big time.

Isn't the Italian government bank rolling the airline ?


That's not a DC-10, its an MD-11.

[Midnight Mike]

Senga

Thats a brilliant photo of a DC10 with "steam off wings" .......i bet when Concorde had been take off the same run way people in New York must have got a lot of stunning photos.


MD11 has winglets, DC10 does not :wink:

[Derf]

the question is...if an MD-11 has and a DC-10 has not....what does an MD-10 have?

[moose135]

the question is...if an MD-11 has and a DC-10 has not....what does an MD-10 have?
An MD-10 has not...it's a DC-10 with the 2-person MD-11 cockpit.

[wunaladreamin]

And the saga continues. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7615113.stm)

[kc2aqg]

Ah crap, and I booked DL Codeshared Alitalia flights for two weeks from now, JFK-FCO roundtrip on the 777. Think they'll still be flying in 2 weeks?

I hope Vinny can get home, that would be the worst to be stranded...

[Matt Molnar]

Ah crap, and I booked DL Codeshared Alitalia flights for two weeks from now, JFK-FCO roundtrip on the 777. Think they'll still be flying in 2 weeks?
Hard to say. Italy's aviation authority is threatening to revoke their operating certificate if they begin canceling flights due to their fuel supply problems, so even if they technically can keep operating JFK-FCO, they may not be legally able to do so.

[Art at ISP]

Does anyone have any updated information on the Alitalia situation? We have a cousin who is headed to Rome the same day my wife and her other cousins come back on AA. She is on AZ and is worried.

Thanks.

[Art at ISP]

No news???? Anyone????

[Matt Molnar]

40 flights were canceled today when one of the smaller unions staged a 4 hour strike.

More drama: Italian police raided Alitalia's Rome headquarters this morning and left with about 10 years of financial documents.

On the union negotiations front, the largest union has agreed to a deal, but talks with the smaller and more militant pilot and cabin crew unions seem to be barely getting off the ground.

[Delta777LR]

the question is...if an MD-11 has and a DC-10 has not....what does an MD-10 have?
An MD-10 has not...it's a DC-10 with the 2-person MD-11 cockpit.

If you look at an MD-10, You can also tell by looking at the radio antana on top of the fuseloge which is located near the center(Like the MD-11) while the DC-10 has the antana more closer to the front..

[Matt Molnar]

Alitalia: Investors withdraw $1.4B offer (http://www.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/09/18/alitalia.financial.trouble.ap/index.html?eref=rss_latest)

MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Italian news agencies say a group of Italian investors have withdrawn a bid to buy Alitalia after some unions failed to back a deal.

Alitalia employees protest against layoffs and other tough measures in a rescue plan by potential investors.

The news agencies ANSA and Apcom cited sources at an hour-long meeting Thursday of the investor group led by Piaggio chairman Roberto Colaninno that has just ended.

Alitalia's special administrator appointed after the airline declared itself bankrupt August 29, has said the failure of this deal would mean the failure of Alitalia.

But ANSA has quoted Premier Silvio Berlusconi as saying that he is not worried and that he still hopes for a positive outcome. [Full Article (http://www.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/09/18/alitalia.financial.trouble.ap/index.html?eref=rss_latest)]
Berlusconi now thinks Air France-KLM, Lufthansa or British Airways might be interested, but so far that remains a big question mark.

[Matt Molnar]

The head of Italy's aviation authority has threatened to suspend Alitalia's operating license on Thursday if they do not come up with a rescue plan quickly.


Alitalia sends up SOS for takeover bids (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080922113700.5pke7b1p&show_article=1)
Sep 22 07:37 AM US/Eastern

Alitalia, Italy's once-proud national flagship, sent up an SOS on Monday, publishing a final appeal on its website for investors to take over the deeply indebted company and its fractious unions.

The move came as the head of Italy's civil aviation authority ENAC said the near-bankrupt airline, which is 49.9 percent state-owned, could be grounded by Thursday if it did not come up with a "credible" cost-reduction plan.

"Between now and Thursday, the special administrator of Alitalia, Augusto Fantozzi, must present to ENAC a credible plan to avoid the suspension or the revocation of the licence to fly," Vito Riggio told reporters after meeting with Fantozzi. [Full Article (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080922113700.5pke7b1p&show_article=1)]

[Matt Molnar]

Just when you thought this situation couldn't get any more laughable...

Venezuelan carrier Aserca to lodge Alitalia offer: report (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080923215009.efesotph&show_article=1)
Sep 23 05:50 PM US/Eastern
Venezuelan airline Aserca is "intending" to make an offer for "all or part of" distressed Italian national flag carrier Alitalia, the ANSA news agency said Tuesday.

"With the aid of (Venezuela's) socialist government, we are certain that we can resolve a large part of the problems which have beset Alitalia and its employees," the Italian news agency cited Aserca director-general Hugo Santoro as saying in a statement.

"Over the coming days, we will send (details of) our proposal to the special administrator (Augusto Fantozzi)," it added. [Full Article (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080923215009.efesotph&show_article=1)]

[Matt Molnar]

Alitalia Pilots Agree to Government-Backed CAI Bid (Update2) (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a9zWo3yTqu0E&refer=home)

By [bn:PRSN=1] Marco Bertacche [] and Steve Scherer

Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Alitalia SpA, Italy's national airline, moved a step closer to averting collapse after pilots agreed to a government-backed takeover by a group of business executives.

Unions representing most of Alitalia's 2,500 pilots reached an accord with the CAI group led by Roberto Colaninno early today. The Rome-based carrier's ground staff had already approved the plan to eliminate about 3,000 jobs and impose longer hours for the same pay. Flight attendants unions said they are ``making some progress'' and will meet with CAI again on Sept. 29.

``The agreement with pilots allows us to look at coming days with great serenity,'' Transport Minister Altero Matteoli told Sky TG24 television in an interview broadcast today. ``Now we can let planes take off.'' [Full Article (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a9zWo3yTqu0E&refer=home)]