After the decisive one from the EU, the definitive green light has also arrived from ENAC, the body that manages the licenses for civil air traffic: on 15 October the new Alitalia leaves. The company, as is known, is called Ita and according to what has been agreed with Brussels it will be a completely new company, in discontinuity with the former national carrier: 100% controlled by the Treasury, it will not benefit from shortcuts, in fact it will have to deal in all respects with the 'purchase of the planes (initially only fifty of which only 7 long-haul) and flight activities from the extraordinary administration of Alitalia. Same procedure for the acquisition of the Alitalia brand, which will be regularly auctioned and therefore Ita will not be able to spare any expense to win it. Finally, there are the more strictly operational issues, yet to be defined: there is no website on which to purchase tickets from 15 October onwards, for the 45 destinations envisaged in this phase.
It seems that everything will be there within a week but the MilleMiglia crux remains. The most straightforward solution for owners is to use the accumulated credits by October 14th by converting them into Alitalia flights, or into tickets from current Sky team partners. Beyond that date the fate of their treasure is uncertain. Alitalia Loyalty will be auctioned off and it could also be bought by an operator from a completely different sector. How much does this umpteenth bailout cost the Italian state and therefore taxpayers, albeit much smaller than those carried out or hypothesized in the past? The latest injection of public money is 60 million euros, the total in the end will be 1,5 billion, to put 2.750-2.950 of the approximately 10 people still on layoffs back on track for now. However, if things go well and Ita expands its perimeter, perhaps by joining a consortium, it would reach 2025 with 105 aircraft (77% new and with low environmental impact), with a new strategic partner who will be chosen in a very short time and with 9.400 employees. Operating break-even is expected in the third quarter of 2023.
