No contact with Alitalia in view of possible alliances: Aeroflot denies the rumors circulated in the morning. The newspaper "La Repubblica" had written today that the Russian company would send emissaries to sound out Alitalia's managers and "to verify the possible green light for the operation".
However, a company spokesman contacted in Moscow denied the content of the article. For its part, Alitalia says it "cannot comment in any way" because "any operation on capital is the responsibility of each shareholder".
Aeroflot ended 2012 with profits down 66%, below market expectations, also due to the negative effects of the consolidation of loss-making local airlines acquired during 2011. This would make it unlikely that Aeroflot could also commit this year in the acquisition of a company not in good financial health like Alitalia.
After losing 280 million in 2012, the Italian company closed the first quarter with a loss of 157 million, up from 131 million a year ago and the new CEO Gabriele Del Torchio is working on a new 2013-2016 business plan to be submitted to the board of directors at the end of June.
