Alitalia President Luca Cordero
di Montezemolo told Corriere TV Thursday the company plans to
make investments of 400 million euros this year "on routes,
planes and services".
The airline ended 2015 with expected losses of 200 million
euros, he added. The first two months of 2016 are also in line
with expectations.
"The aim is to close out 2017 with the company returned to
profit, which would be a historic event," the executive said.
Alitalia is shutting down unprofitable routes, Montezemolo
said.
"Unfortunately there are a lot of them, especially on the
national level," he explained.
He added that regions wanting to preserve unprofitable
Alitalia routes should contribute to their upkeep.
"There are cases - especially in regions without high-speed
rail such as Calabria and Friuli - where we cancel a loss-making
route but if the region believes it to be essential, we will lay
out our needs and, just as hundreds of millions are given to
Ferrovie dello Stato (public rail company), Alitalia should be
given what it needs - that's market logic," Montezemolo said.
Alitalia is now a private company operating on economic
returns and "a corporate culture where merit, competence and
skill are key," he said.
"So out with politics, out with the parties - it's not
easy, but that's how it has to be," the executive said.
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