Rome: Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said Alitalia would be sold to a group capable of folding the carrier into a global network, and promised regional protests would not sway his government's choice of buyer.
The comments were the latest boost to Air France-KLM's bid for the loss-making national airline, whose board has backed the French company's bid over one from tiny Italian domestic rival Air One.
The centre-left government is divided on which bid to choose for the state's 49.9 per cent stake in Alitalia and has been besieged by intense lobbying from unions and regional politicians who want it to remain in Italian hands.
The government has the final word on who gets the Rome-based carrier, which is losing more than a million euros each day. |
