Alitalia Shutting Down Tomorrow? (UPDATED)

[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

MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Italian news agencies say a group of Italian investors have withdrawn a bid to buy Alitalia after some unions failed to back a deal.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

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
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]

[Matt Molnar]

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

Venezuelan carrier Aserca to lodge Alitalia offer: report
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]

[Matt Molnar]

Alitalia Pilots Agree to Government-Backed CAI Bid (Update2)

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]