The board of Alitalia will meet tomorrow to consider a binding offer made by Air France-KLM to buy out the Italian government's stake in the struggling carrier.
The size of the offer is not known, but Alitalia is worth around US$1.24 million at current prices.
"During the meeting, the company's short-term financial requirements will be yet again considered," a spokesman for the Italian airline said.
Alitalia chairman Maurizio Prato is in contact with the Ministry of Finance over the offer.
The takeover would consolidate Air France-KLM's position as the largest airline in Europe at a time when network carriers are under pressure from low-cost rivals and high oil prices.
However, Alitalia's future has become a hot issue in upcoming Italian elections. A takeover would end the 62-year independence of one Italy's most distinctive global brands, which is losing $1.5 million a day.
Air France-KLM's investors fear it will become bogged down in Italian politics, echoing the fate of previous high-profile Franco-Italian industrial deals in energy.
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