Italy’s goverment open to discuss Alitalia’s with any investor, including infrastructure group Atlantia, despite friction over Genoa Bridge collapse

Italy’s industry ministry is open to discussions with any investor interested in the rescue of troubled carrier Alitalia, including infrastructure group Atlantia, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.

The ministry is leading talks between the administrators managing the loss-making Alitalia and state-owned railway group Ferrovie dello Stato, which is trying to set up a consortium to buy the carrier.

So far Ferrovie has secured the commitment of Delta Air Lines but it is struggling to find another partner who is willing to invest more than 300 million euros (£267 million) in Alitalia, which has a long history of financial woes.

An involvement of Atlantia could be a turning point in the rescue effort led by Ferrovie, but sources have previously said the plan still lacked a political green light.

Atlantia is in bad terms with the governing coalition, in particular with the 5-Star Movement, after the deadly collapse of a motorway bridge it managed last August.

5-Star head Luigi Di Maio, who is also Italy’s industry minister, have blamed Atlantia for poor maintenance of the motorway network, adding the government would revoke the group’s motorway concession. Atlantia has always denied wrongdoing.

Via Euronews