Managers Luigi Gubitosi and Enrico
Laghi and air transport expert Stefano Paleari are to be the
commissioners handling the extraordinary administration of
Alitalia, the industry ministry announced Tuesday as it approved
a decree putting the loss-making former flag carrier into
administration.
Gubitosi, a former director-general of RAI State broadcaster,
will run the company while Laghi, an extraordinary commissioner
for troubled steel group ILVA, will take care of relations with
the government and legal issues, they said.
Paleari, named by the transport ministry, is an engineer,
university lecturer and expert in air transport, as well as
president of Human Technopole, the high-tech hub to be created
at Milan's former EXPO site.
As well as approving the extraordinary administration, the
government was set to OK a 330-400-million-euro bridge loan to
keep Alitalia flying in the coming months.
Earlier Tuesday Etihad CEO James Hogan expressed regret after
it joined other Alitalia stakeholders in approving a request for
the troubled Italian airline to be put into extraordinary
administration.
"We did everything in our power as a minority shareholder to
support Alitalia, but it's clear that the company needs deep
restructuring on a vast scale to survive and grow in the
future," Hogan said.
"Without the support of all the stakeholders in this
restructuring process, we cannot continue to invest".
Etihad Airways of the UAE bought a 49% stake in Alitalia with
a deal reached in 2014.
"The strategy initially developed by Alitalia at the time of
Etihad's investment and implemented from 2015 onwards led to
significant improvements," Hogan said.
"Our investments, together with those of the other
shareholders, helped to protect thousands of jobs over the last
three years.
"Italy remains an important market for us and we will
continue to work with Alitalia as a commercial partner, in
addition to our direct presence in Italy".
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