Troubled airline again hit by strike 
The EC today (November 12) gave conditional approval to the €375m takeover of Alitalia by a consortium of businessmen.
But EC transport commissioner Antonio Tajani said the near bankrupt airline would have to repay a €300m rescue loan from the Italian government.
Mr Tajani ruled that Alitalia had already received state aid in previous rescue attempts.
But he said the sale of Alitalia's profitable assets to the CAI onsortium would be legal.
He said it would create an airline which was "smaller in size but more efficient."
Mr Tajani said the take over could shake up the European airline industry.
He added: "I am convinced that a new, more dynamic air transport market will be able to develop in Italy.
"We are going beyond the old model of national, state airlines. What we see now emerging is a new model involving airlines entirely in private hands,"
But Alitalia was forced today to cancel flights for the third day running as unions which oppose the labour terms of the CAI bid went on strike.
Alitalia said about 50 flights were cancelled because of the strikes.
The CAI deal involves 3,250 redundancies, a cut in the number of routes and tighter work contracts.
While all nine unions representing workers at the national airline agreed in outline to the CAI rescue plan in September, only four have since signed new deals on work contracts.
Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister described the latest strikes as "irresponsible" and "unacceptable."
Under the bid, CAI will buy the government's 49.9% stake in Alitalia and keep the profitable bits of the airline. The unprofitable bits will be liquidated.
It will then merge with rival Italian carrier Air One to form a new airline.
CAI has also been in talks with Air France KLM and Lufthansa about taking a minority stake in the new carrier and with BA over a possible commercial agreement.
www.alitalia.com [1]