LJ From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 4141 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (6 years 6 months 3 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 2129 times:
Quoting Nycfly75 (Thread starter): If its Air China, then AZ will enter Star I assume? Article also says LH is the preferred European suitor for AZ.
You mean it's the preferred suitor for the Italian govenment as the Italian government thinks that only LH may be interested (and they're not) in the current AZ as AF/KL first want AZ to clean up its balance sheet (read reduce costs) before they [AF/KL] may even consider investing in AZ...... Anyway this is somewhat old news as the Italian government hinted at this (somewhat idiotic) possibility last month.. I wonder if there are any elections in Italy upcoming (and someone needs the votes of AZ employees)..
However we all know how this will end. Either they don't restructure AZ and will go bankrupt (highly unlikely) or at the very last moment they restructure the airline and sell it to AF/KL (very likely).
Alitalia744 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 4657 posts, RR: 45 Reply 2, posted (6 years 6 months 3 weeks 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 1989 times:
alitalia and more importantly the italian government needs to get it's sh*t together before they worry about partnering with Air China, Lufthansa or AF/KL.
seriously now, either put the dinosaur to death or figure out how to fix it once and for all.
Bicoastal From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (6 years 6 months 3 weeks 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 1956 times:
Quoting Alitalia744 (Reply 2): alitalia and more importantly the italian government needs to get it's sh*t together before they worry about partnering with Air China, Lufthansa or AF/KL
Exactly. No well run and profitable airline is going to acquire a basket case with serious labor union issues. Alitalia needs to be more attractive financially and have more cooperative labor unions before any airline will want it.
Commavia From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 10188 posts, RR: 63 Reply 4, posted (6 years 6 months 3 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 1910 times:
Alitalia744 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 4657 posts, RR: 45 Reply 5, posted (6 years 6 months 3 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 1888 times:
Quoting Commavia (Reply 4): !!! Just let Alitalia DIE already !!!
That's kinda harsh. While I admit Alitalia is a basket case, I don't think comments like that are necessary.
Commavia From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 10188 posts, RR: 63 Reply 6, posted (6 years 6 months 3 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 1860 times:
Quoting Alitalia744 (Reply 5): That's kinda harsh. While I admit Alitalia is a basket case, I don't think comments like that are necessary.
I respectfully disagree. I think that Alitalia dying, and someone bringing it up, is extremely necessary. It's the elephant in the room that nobody in Italy seems to want to actually address, even though it is so clearly obvious it's not even funny.
Sad to say, Alitalia is completely beyond fixing. Nothing will ever change. While Alitalia may be on its 493rd restructuring, the fundamentals of the problem -- unions with way too much power and a refusal to ever face reality -- is not going to go away.
The Italian government has done Italians an extreme disservice by continuing to fund this complete bunch of political theater. The unions buy the politicians, the politicians fund the company, the company pays the union members. It is a vicous cycle that will never change, whether the company is owned by the Italian state, recapitalized by KLM, by Air France, by Lufthansa, by Air China.
It makes no difference -- they'll all spend (waste) billions to figure out the same thing anyone looking clearly has known for years -- nothing will get better until the unions are broken. And in the socialist economic climate that western continental Europe, including Italy, are in right now, I don't see that happening anytime soon.
Sorry, but it's just reality as I see it, and sometimes reality is harsh.
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