EU opens State-aid probe into Alitalia (4)

(ANSA) - Brussels, April 23 - The European Commission on Monday opened a probe to see if the 900-million euro bridge loan granted to Alitalia by the Italian state constitutes prohibited State aid to industry, sources said. Brussels "at the moment is of the view that the State loan might constitute State aid," a statement said.
    The EC fears that "the duration of the loan, which goes from May 2017 at least until December 2018, surpasses the maximum duration of six months envisaged by the guidelines on rescue loans," and that the loan is not limited to the minimum allowed.
    The sale of Alitalia will be put off until the end of October, Industry Minister Carlo Calenda said on April 11.
    He said the reimbursement of the bridge loan would be put off until the end of the year.
    "We haven't decided yet, but probably the postponement will be to the end of October and must happen via a decree," he said.
    The three manifestations of interest in Alitalia received earlier this month show "real interest in the company that is confirmed and strengthened," the industry ministry said after meeting the troubled Italian airline's three commissioners.
    In particular, it said, one of the three manifestations of interest "contains concrete steps forward in terms of routes and personnel".
    The following week, the ministry said, a decree will be issued to extend the airline's bridge loan reimbursement procedure, to allow the commissioners to negotiate with the three prospective bidders.
    The three extraordinary commissioners met government ministers to assess the situation after receiving three offers for the airline.
    The bids are said to have come from Lufthansa, from EasyJet together with a consortium featuring Cerberus-Delta, and from Wizzair.
    Alitalia was put into extraordinary administration last year after workers voted against a restructuring plan.