Alitalia's number one Roberto Colanino admits that mistakes have been made in the management of the company from 2008 to today, but foresees break even in 2016, as long as you find a foreign partner. The president of the company – which he already has announced his resignation after the 300 million recapitalization of the company – still focuses on the contribution of Air France, but stresses that the French do not want to "pull the rope", because "the last thing they want is for Alitalia to join another larger partner, making them compete at home". In an interview with Sole 24 Ore, Colaninno also recalls “the interest of Election and Aeroflot”, a Russian company with which a meeting is scheduled for this week.
Air France, explains the outgoing president of Alitalia, “is only trying to maximize the favorable conditions to minimize its financial risks. The French are well aware that on an industrial level they cannot expect Alitalia to withdraw from intercontinental routes, the only ones on which the companies earn. We want to remain partners with the French, but not submissive to their wishes which would nullify us”.
as to data management; of the company, "today I can say that in the past years we have made errors of assessment on other fronts - added Colaninno -, then paying the consequences: the commercial area, marketing and even communication were not up to the challenge that we had in front of us".
"I'm certainly not happy with how things went: being bought, for me, is always a defeat - he concluded -, but what happened, the mistakes made, can teach everyone: the next Alitalia, the one that will emerge from the capital increase, it will have to have not only new partners, but also better governance. Starting with the board of directors, which could have far fewer directors than the current one".
Meanwhile, a new tile has hit Alitalia. The company was investigated for unduly receiving disbursements to the detriment of the State as part of an investigation by the Civitavecchia prosecutor's office. The magistrates they hypothesize that the company has sent 250 people to layoffs claiming that it was in excess of the company's real needs. According to the prosecution, the airline had instead entered into a contract with Carpat Air for the rental of aircraft and personnel.
The company "believes that it has not committed any wrongdoing - reads a statement from the company -. Some time before Cig's request, Alitalia had stipulated a contract with Carpat Air in Wet Lease delegating the management of some routes to the Romanian company. Therefore, there is no link between the contract given to Carpat Air and layoffs”.
