ThePRGuy From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (6 years 7 months 6 hours ago) and read 7129 times:
Quote: Jacques Chirac and Romano Prodi are to discuss the future of troubled Italian airline Alitalia amid talk of a possible merger with Air France-KLM.
BuyantUkhaa From Mongolia, joined May 2004, 2781 posts, RR: 3 Reply 1, posted (6 years 7 months 5 hours ago) and read 7088 times:
Interestingly, Prodi himself seems afraid that AZ will be gobbled up
Quote: But ahead of Thursday's meeting with President Chirac, Mr Prodi said he was concerned about Air France's motives for any such arrangement.
"I have always supported contacts between the two groups but now I have a lot of doubts," he told French newspaper Le Figaro.
"Does it (Air France) want to create a big European transport group in which Italy would have a place, or simply grab the Italian air transport market, which is large and very lucrative."
And at the same time he wants foreign investors:
Quote: Loss-making Alitalia is on the hunt for strategic partners and speculation has focused on Air France-KLM, which holds a small stake in its counterpart.
An aviation adviser to the Italian government has said Alitalia should be willing to buy a substantial number of aircraft from Franco-German planemaker Airbus in return for Air France investing in its business.
This is getting tiresome... Foreign investment in AZ yes, too much foreign dominance in AZ no. Welcome to the brave new world, Italy...
While I am not specifically after AZ's downfall, I am very dismayed at the way Italian politicians continue to handle this. It's been said many times before, but this company should be left alone by unions and politicians (almost impossible, I know), and then we'll see whether it survives or not.
M404 From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 2214 posts, RR: 5 Reply 2, posted (6 years 7 months 5 hours ago) and read 7086 times:
"Loss-making Alitalia"
"or simply grab the Italian air transport market, which is large and very lucrative."
An aviation adviser to the Italian government has said Alitalia should be willing to buy a substantial number of aircraft from Franco-German planemaker Airbus in return for Air France investing in its business."
I wonder what the reaction of Alitalia's workers would be to privitization and not being owned by the government? How many times have KL and AF told them the terms?
[Edited 2006-11-23 12:33:06]
Less sarcasm and more thought equal better understanding
An aviation adviser to the Italian government has said Alitalia should be willing to buy a substantial number of aircraft from Franco-German planemaker Airbus in return for Air France investing in its business.
As Italy has a large stake in the 787, that would be an interesting political decision...
it's the bus to stansted (now renamed national express a4 to ruin my username)
Art From Lebanon, joined Feb 2005, 2977 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 6622 times:
From the BBC report:
Chief executive Jean-Cyril Spinetta confirmed the airline was in talks with its Italian counterpart about its restructuring plan and what savings could be generated from a possible alliance.
"I am of the conviction that a tie-up between the two groups would create value," he said.
"Air France-KLM is proof that the merger of companies from different countries can create value."
KLM was not a basket case. An Air France merger with Alitalia would destroy a lot of value on the Air France side.
Lamedianaranja From Venezuela, joined Nov 2004, 1246 posts, RR: 23 Reply 7, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 6540 times:
It feels like AZ only wants AF/KL to bail her out and save them from complete bankruptcy.
They must be in a very tight situation to overcome their pride and ask for help. A real last resort but AF/KL will have to go about it in a businesslike way: if we can make money do it, if not, don't do it.
KL won't have much to say in this decision btw, it's Spinetta who has the final word. Maybe that's for the best because KL already went through a bad experience with AZ once...
Boeing777/747 From Belgium, joined Dec 2001, 643 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 6456 times:
There are NO plans for a merge with Alitalia there are only negotiatians about cooperation. KLM CEO Mr. Leo van Wijk said today that Air France and KLM are focusing on Delta Air Lines to get involved on the US market.
Leo van Wijk also said that a merge between US Airways and Delta Air Lines is very unlikely. He also said that that would be very unlogical and that US Airways is making an emergency step by doing this. US Airways has financial problems.
CJAContinental From United Kingdom, joined May 2006, 459 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 6384 times:
Among other things the article says that it was Alitalia that asked Air France for a possible merger and that, only after Alitalia's request, Air France (now AF/KL group) began what Mr. Spinetta called "a mutual exploration phase". Moreover, before starting such an ambitious project, AF/KL is trying to verify if AZ will be capable to recover itself economically before taking it over. In order to achieve this aim, Mr. Spinetta suggests:
- just one hub, to be choosed between FCO and MXP;
- suppression of certain low-revenue routes;
- dismissal of about 200 pilots and 300/400 flight attendants;
- dismissal of 3 long-haul and 20 medium-haul aircrafts.
Tomorrow (24/11) Mr. Chirac and Mr. Prodi will talk about this issue in Lucca during an Italo-French summit.
Jano From Slovakia, joined Jan 2004, 814 posts, RR: 4 Reply 13, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 6227 times:
Mr. Prodi quote
"Does it (Air France) want to create a big European transport group in which Italy would have a place, or simply grab the Italian air transport market, which is large and very lucrative."
I'm thinking it's going to be the first option. It's going to be the first PanEuropean airline (later taking over CSA too).
MEACEDAR From Lebanon, joined Oct 2006, 751 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 6160 times:
No, no, no...............AF/KL/AZ hell no. I really doubt that something like this will be considered by AF/KL. What if AZ and IB or BA were an option?
Mindscape From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 314 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 5890 times:
Quoting Boeing777/747 (Reply 9): There are NO plans for a merge with Alitalia there are only negotiatians about cooperation
Correct. On the website of the French newspaper Le Monde it is said that (in French) Le Monde "On the demand of AZ, AF-KL has started an exploratory phase with AZ, mainly focused on 3 points :
1) Would the current restructure plan of AZ allow the carrier to reach an acceptable financial/economic situation?
2) Do AF-KL and AZ share the same strategy and future ?
3) If the two previous questions are positives then what would be the resulting synergies ?"
Spinetta added that "it is only when we will have positive answers on those points that we would be able to ask for an authorisation for a merger study
797 From Venezuela, joined Aug 2005, 1824 posts, RR: 26 Reply 16, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 5530 times:
Well, so as we can see the rumours are still in the air...
I see that all this situation is going to places none of us can really describe. Maybe the strategy is different from the AF/KL people. Merging with a partially dead airline doesn't really make sense to me... that would need to have loads of money involved to get the airline and then to save it. So, what's the real deal here? Getting a stake of a problem airline isn't like buying a broken t-shirt?
Quoting Mindscape (Reply 15): 2) Do AF-KL and AZ share the same strategy and future ?
Does AZ serve any international city that AF and KL go to?
Flying isn't dangerous. Crashing is what's dangerous!
BA1985 From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2006, 25 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 4789 times:
Alitalia is a bit of a disaster in terms of service and certainly in terms of its union relations and dominance of those unions as well as a dismal financial performance. I think it is getting to the point where national owernship of airliners within the EU is going to have to be consigned to the past and the days of the legacy carriers is going to be transformed. I think Alitalia ahould be left to go to the highest bidder....it cannot really be in more of a mess than it is at the moment.
Lexer From Italy, joined Sep 2005, 147 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 4492 times:
Quoting BAtriple7 (Reply 8): Looks like French investors don't like the news. AF share prices fell 6.5% to 30.3 euros today after the announcement of a possible AF/AZ thang:
The fall in stock price was not really related to that news. The shares had risen by 100% in almost a straight line up over the last six months, any disappointing news would send the stock down a notch - in this case a financial performance below market expectations.
My reading is that the Italian government is leaning heavily on France's government to welcome Alitalia in AF/KL as it is pretty much the only solution they see which would safe face. All rescue plans have come to naught over the last few years and it is starting to look embarassing. But AF/KL are right to insist on further privatisation and the government will have to take some pain over that issue itself.
I am still amazed to see Italian politicians regularly comment on the management of Alitalia.. a complete travesty of modern enterprise.
Runway23 From US Minor Outlying Islands, joined Jan 2005, 2043 posts, RR: 39 Reply 21, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 4467 times:
Quoting MauriceB (Reply 19): Lol i don't see this happening, when KLM thought about entering SkyTeam , one of the obsticales was AZ, and they still aren't best friends...
Doesn't really matter what KLM thinking of it. Air France are the one's running the show. If Jean-Cyril Spinetta thinks it makes sense and so does his board of directors then something might happen.
Right now, they are just looking at what could be done if they get together (and indeed if it makes in sense to do so).
MauriceB From Netherlands, joined Aug 2004, 2477 posts, RR: 28 Reply 22, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 4448 times:
Quote: Doesn't really matter what KLM thinking of it. Air France are the one's running the show. If Jean-Cyril Spinetta thinks it makes sense and so does his board of directors then something might happen.
IMO it does matter what KLM thinks, the Board of directors is almost half french half dutch (if im correctly the percentage was like 55% vs 45%)
But if they will take-over AZ, i think we will see a totally new AZ, and then i don't mean on Fleet decission (which ofcourse will also change), but more on managment, routes etc, even maybe a new name (probably between 2009 and 2012, since AF-KL plans to fly under 1 name)
It will be a mess, since Italy still holds a big stake in AZ, and they will have a hard time to get it approved, because lots of country's aren't waiting on an even bigger AF-KL, remember that the KL take-over, didn't whent easy either...
it will be or DL (not 100%) or AZ (100%) but MP is also on the programm i heard....
Lexer From Italy, joined Sep 2005, 147 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 4448 times:
Quoting Runway23 (Reply 21): Doesn't really matter what KLM thinking of it. Air France are the one's running the show.
well, Van Wijk is still on the board I think, but he will leave if I understand correctly. He started and blew up the collaboration with Alitalia and it was his arrogance that eventually lost KLM the arbitration - the decision to break with Alitalia was solely based on his personal judgment rather than objective analysis.
As long as he's there he could torpedo any plans to involve Alitalia.
But then, I find the statements from AF/KL very cautious so far and they are well aware what they would get themselves into.
Lijnden From Netherlands, joined Apr 2003, 557 posts, RR: 1 Reply 24, posted (6 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 4429 times:
Why would AF-KL spend money on a company that has no right to exist. In a open Europe it would be wiser to start a own Italian carrier than to buy all the unwanted factors. Anyway, if the Italian market was so very interesting, why aren't other airliners knocking on the door? And why does AZ need all the (illegal) protection to stay alive?
Spider catcher
25 MauriceB: Lol and many more KLM directors... Leo will leave because he already announced long time ago.. has nothing to do with AZ. Finally found a soul mate
26 ThePRGuy: The problem with alitalia is an inherent disregard to customers. I fly with them once or twice a month (well have done recently) so you would expect t
27 Wingedarrow: Just abridged from yahoo.fr ALITALIA : CHIRAC JUGE "SOUHAITABLE" UN RAPPROCHEMENT Au chapitre bilatéral, le projet de fusion entre Air France- KLM et
28 797: Sorry mate, I wrote the opposite thing here. I meant: Does AZ fly to any International destination that AF and KL don't go to! Sorry for that
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