“We should be there, Vestager should tell us yes.” For weeks, Minister Giorgietti and the Germans have been confused about the merger (read acquisition of 41% for just 325 million, being able to command despite being in the minority) of Ita Airways by Lufthansa. Yesterday, however, the president of Ita Airways Antonio Turicchi reassured the unions.
THE VERY LONG DISPUTE of the nanocompany born from the ashes of Alitalia – buying its aviation branch (planes and slots) for just one euro thanks to the complacency of the commissioners appointed by the Draghi government and the Fiori expertise – swallowed up by the German giant as its regional company which will fill its most lucrative flights intercontinental events will necessarily have to be completed by July 4th. The hated Margrethe Vestager, head of European antitrust for decades, was portrayed as being in the pay of AirFrance, a company that would have the most to lose from the acquisition. The Dane – defeated in the race for the leadership of the European Investment Bank (EIB) – had been warmly invited by Giorgetti and Salvini to make the decision before the European elections. You have not done so and you intend not to be influenced by the results and by the possible new alliances and by the new commission, of which you may not be part. European times are biblical: the current commissioners will remain in office until November and the Danish (social democratic) government will decide whether to grant the liberal exponent a third mandate.
Having clarified the legitimacy of the decision by Vestager, Turicchi’s optimism derives from the many German efforts made to meet Brussels’ requests to guarantee the fateful competition on intercontinental flights, especially from Linate. In the second Milanese airport, Ita and Lufthansa have many slots that they have already decided to sell to other companies (first Easyjet) and have opened up to reducing flights from Fiumicino to North America. Furthermore, Ita (which is still part of Skyteam with AirFrance) would remain outside the Star Alliance alliance of which United Airlines and AirCanada are also part for at least two years.
For Turicchi, all these concessions should lead to Vestager’s fateful “yes” in a very short time.
THE UNIONS HAD ASKED the meeting concerned about the consequences of the stop to the acquisition of Lufthansa and negative consequences with respect to the industrial plan which provides for the increase in the number of planes and workers, now reached 5,500 of which 3,800 flight personnel also thanks to the many reinstatement cases won for the clear continuity between Ita and Alitalia.
«The meeting was quite positive, the state of the company is good, plus 36% more revenues compared to 2023. With these data one must necessarily think about investments, opening new routes, increasing the number of long-haul aircraft, new hiring and the renewal of the national contract”, explains the Filt Cgil national secretary Fabrizio Cuscito.
«We hope the EU finally shows common sense, if this is not the case the Italian government will have to intervene forcefully to find other solutions quickly», comments Ivan Viglietti, Uilt national secretary.
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