Major companies yesterday ruled out involvement in a new rescue of Alitalia, complicating a plan led by Rome in which state-controlled railway Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) will bid for the airline and look to bring in partners, Reuters reported. Alitalia was put under special administration last year, leaving the government once again seeking a buyer to save the carrier. It will be the airline’s third rescue in a decade. FS said that its board had decided to put in an offer to buy Alitalia, but gave no further details. the deal would be completed in two separate steps, with FS picking up Alitalia on set conditions and then, at a later stage, being joined by an Italian partner and a international one, from the airline sector, according to sources.
