Etihad is ready to invest 560 million euros for the alliance with Alitalia and an agreement should be reached within “a few weeks”. This was stated by the managing director of Alitalia, Gabriele Del Torchio, at the presentation of the Enac annual report. “I am confident and positive – said Del Torchio -, now it only takes a few weeks to close the deal”.
From the Arab company, added the number one of Alitalia, there will be “an investment of 560 million euros which goes towards strengthening the flag carrier. If we manage to complete this process, we will have given an important signal for the economy and for the attraction of foreign investments”.
With the eventual Alitalia-Etihad agreement, the Italian airline will in any case remain in European hands. Del Torchio has always assured this, according to which the alliance between the two companies “is a very important project, but one which will see the majority of the shareholder in Italy and in Europe maintained. We are not selling the company to Abu Dhabi – added Alitalia's number one at the presentation of the ENAC annual report – but we want to form an alliance with them and share advantages, synergies and capital”.
On the question of redundancies, the CEO specified that there will be "only" 2.200 structural ones envisaged by the possible agreement, instead of the nearly 3.000 initially assumed. “These are redundancies – underlined Del Torchio – within which it is necessary to find the appropriate forms of social protection for these people who, unfortunately, will be forced out. There are no alternatives."
