The Italian government expects to take an approximate 14%
share of Alitalia as part of the restructuring process designed to move the
carrier out of insolvency.
The investment plan was revealed by Italy's economic
development minister Luigi Di Maio to the Italian newspaper il Sole 24 on
Friday.
"We are thinking of a threshold for the participation
of the government that does not get too detached from other European
experiences: if France owns 14.3% of Air France, we can imagine a similar level
of participation," Di Maio told the paper.
His comments came as the deadline for takeover bids of
Alitalia loom. Lufthansa, EasyJet and Hungary's Wizz Air have previously made
offers for Alitalia. After the carrier entered into insolvency in May 2017, the
government provided a bridge loan of 900 million euros to keep Alitalia flying.
Di Maio declined to answer a question about rumors that
Delta and China Eastern have expressed an interest in bidding on Alitalia.
He told il Sole 24 that Italy's state-owned railway,
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, would also partner with Alitalia and will
potentially invest 200 million euro into the airline.
Such a move, Di Maio said, would provide synergy between
Italian air and rail service and allow for the purchase of combined Alitalia
and railway tickets.