(See related)
State-owned Poste Italiane remains
interested in making a further investment in troubled Italian
airline Alitalia, but only if the conditions are right, the
chief executive of the post office said Wednesday.
That includes guarantees the post office will not be
required to take on any of Alitalia's past liabilities, said
Francesco Caio.
He spoke as the Italian flag carrier moves closer towards a
deal with Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad.
The post office, which last December injected 75 million
euros into Alitalia as part of a government-engineered
500-million-euro rescue package, has analyzed the deal with
Etihad and concluded that it is "well structured in terms of
industrial (viability) and return for our company," said Caio.
But the post office must be assured it won't be on the hook
for Alitalia debts and other constraints and instead will only
invest in a "newco free from the burdens of the past," Caio
exlained.
As a public company, he added, Poste Italiane is under "the
lens of Europe" and regulators are watching Alitalia's affairs
to ensure that State aid is not provided, which would be seen by
other airlines as providing an unfair competitive advantage.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
