Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will make good on a pledge to find an Italian buyer for Alitalia to help it avoid bankruptcy, a senior government official said on Wednesday.
"We're waiting confidently. If Berlusconi says that there is a buyer, I believe him," said Roberto Castelli, undersecretary in charge of transport at the Infrastructure Ministry.
Alitalia on Tuesday reported a 2007 loss of EUR495 million euros (USD$778.3 million) and reiterated it needed fresh capital quickly to keep flying.
The government on Wednesday officially converted a EUR300 million emergency loan to the carrier into an asset on its books, providing it with a lifeline.
The government has said the move is temporary. It is designed to win the approval of auditors for the airline's precarious finances.
