Ryanair Plans Binding Bid for Alitalia, Would Keep Carrier Whole
- Irish airline prepared to retain brand, long-haul operations
- Market dominance may be an issue for regulators, O’Leary says
A bird flies past an Embraer passenger aircraft, operated by Alitalia SpA, as it prepares to land at London City Airport in London, U.K., on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017. Alitalia shareholders approved Etihad Airways PJSC investment of up to $231m, Etihad became Alitalia's largest shareholder in 2014 as part of the Persian Gulf carrier's attempt to gain a European foothold by strengthening struggling carriers in the region.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/BloombergRyanair Holdings Plc plans to bid for Alitalia SpA, which has filed for bankruptcy, and will keep the Italian company intact if it’s successful, according to Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary.
Europe’s biggest discount airline is prepared to take over Alitalia’s long-haul arm as well as a short-haul unit that parallels its own operations, O’Leary said Thursday. Most of the Rome-based company’s fleet would be retained, together with pilots and engineering staff, and its name would also survive.