ITA Airways in search for partner ‘to put money on the table’
Italian carrier ITA Airways is searching for a partner to ‘put money on the table’ and invest in the newly born airline.
Speaking at a parliamentary hearing, ITA Airways’ chairman Alfredo Altavilla said Alitalia’s successor is already in talks with European and overseas potential partners and it is expected to seal the deal by June, Reuters reported.
“We don’t need code sharing or a commercial joint venture. If you put money on the table, you play; if you don’t put money on the table, you can avoid asking for access to the data room,” he said. “We are looking for an equity partnership.”
Sources told the news agency the Italian airline has hold talks with Lufthansa as well as British Airways (BA) and Delta. While a spokesperson for the former confirmed the news, BA and Delta declined to comment.
According to the chairman, ITA Airways is not looking to become the junior partner of a major airline, stressing the company’s need for growth – especially at its flagship airports of Milan and Rome.
“We are flexible, have cut costs and we have a fleet and network that can be integrated into that of a bigger partner,” Altavilla said.
Born from the ashes of Alitalia, ITA Airways started operating on 15 October initially flying 59 routes with 52 planes, with margins for future growth.
The transition from Alitalia to ITA was widely opposed by the Alitalia workforce, as only 2,016 of Alitalia’s employees were hired to be part of the new company, CityAM reported.