Alitalia continues to operate … for now.

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 201 total)

  • AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Short-term funding has been agreed.

    It will allow Alitalia to maintain its current operations.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/12/23/alitalia-handed-two-month-stay-execution-creditors-losses-deepen/

    Quoted in the mainland European media, Alitalia’s CEO Cramer Ball said, “The next two months will be critical for Alitalia.

    “It is vitally important that the airline’s workforce and major stakeholders, such as corporate partners, suppliers and unions, embrace and accept the radical changes we need in order to gain the next round of significant funding from our shareholders from our shareholders, which will be critical for our future.”

    Other reports indicate that a “right size and right shape” business plan will be presented in January to the Alitalia workforce.

    Our Online news item “Cutbacks ahead at Alitalia ?” dated November 15, 2016 provide an idea of the likely recommendations.

    Cutbacks ahead at Alitalia?


    GivingupBA
    Participant

    Thanks for posting. But I’m sorry to say [rather brutally] that in my humble opinion, Alitalia is a dinosaur and is rapidly heading for extinction. I wish them luck and hope they sort themselves out, but I believe the rule – as it is in some other areas – is grow and change, or die.


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    As I’ve said so many times, “it will all end in tears”!


    rferguson
    Participant

    It’s as if this same thread was started two years ago. And five years ago. And eight years ago. And ten years ago. With Alitalia it just goes on and on and on…..

    Air France/KL were to be the ones to sort out their mess and turn them into a powerhouse.

    Then Etihad putting their might behind them, helping them embark on a major expansion and giving them shiny new uniforms.

    And yet….here they are back where they always end up. Sad.


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    I first used Alitalia in 1978, it’s been like that since then (and probably before, too).


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Well the cutbacks have begun in advance of the revised business plan.

    Swiss website ch-aviation says that Milan MXP to Rome FCO will be cancelled in the early part of 2017.

    Meanwhile airline.net reports that five routes from Rome FCO will either be axed or downgraded from February 1.

    Services linking Rome with Bucharest and Valencia are being cancelled.

    Those services between Rome and Marseilles, Moscow and Tel Aviv are being reduced.


    KSHaggag
    Participant

    Gentlemen,

    Before we blame Alitalia for the current situation, let’s ask ourselves about what Etihad has “really” done for them to put them on the right track or so to speak: simply, I don t see what business plan has been set and implemented.
    AZ, Gentlemen has not changed radically but just on the surface. I used to fly them in Business Class (short and medium haul on the A320, A321, A319) before the EY tie up and after; let me tell you that all EY has done was a change of uniform, of cabin colors, seats. They also changed the food and beverage service on board to a “lower” quality than what AZ used to serve before .AZ has always had, in spite of its financial issues ,great ,unique and superb high quality products that were unmatched in the industry. They changed the suppliers and have become just tasteless ,…….this is an Etihad interference (I am not astonished).
    AZ was successful in West Africa.. EY ordered to axe Lagos and Accra routes;;; where is the expansion plan ? to make money ,you need to grow intercontinentally; I cannot claim that Santiago de Chile ,Mexico and Seoul are money spinning routes.. Where is the plan, Etihad ????!!!!!
    I will not talk about how ((messy)) Air Berlin still is…. who is responsible after 5-6 years of so called Etihad investment ?


    Flightlevel
    Participant

    Etihad probably did save them from bancruptcy and now want to get a return on their investment however competing with the LCCs can only be done with a good hub and long haul connections and better on board service than the competition, AZ has a way to go.


    SimonRowberry
    Participant

    At FCO today – for much longer than I’d hoped as LH were having some serious problems. Fast Track security seemed to be for anyone and there was a serious shortage of trays, which led to delays.

    Although flying LH, we were invited to use the AZ lounge. This was pretty poor (not a patch on the LH one in MUC I’m currently sitting in). There was a cockroach scurrying across the floor (honestly), the bar tender seemed more interested in talking to his friends and could also barely speak English. The lounge was shabby and the food offering was basic.

    This was my first ever contact with AZ and it seems to me that a poor ground product isn’t helped by a fairly awful airport…..wouldn’t encourage me to actually fly them.

    Happy New Year

    Simon

    Edited as I don’t know how to use my iPhone properly


    alainboy56
    Participant

    From what I hear in Italy and in AUH, there are rumours EY will sell AZ to AF, and KLM will leave AF. I also hear that there could be changes at the top of EY, because, as said above by fellow forum members, this ‘partner’ strategy, with AZ and AB for example, just has not worked. HM has worked, as its a single market controlled by EK and EY, they feed all pax through DXB/AUH (although QR have just re-started after a 2 year hiatus), and apart from CDG/BOM/MRU/JNB there is little other market to chase.
    So this forum topic will run for some months yet it seems.


    rferguson
    Participant

    Altalia back to AF? It’s like the merry go round at the fair ground!

    Sometimes it’s interesting how much these airlines actually benefit from these joint businesses, alliances yada yada from the Gulf carriers. I guess the end result is the ‘daddy’ airline will always put their interests first.

    I know for example Qantas was FURIOUS when EK launches a sixth daily DXB-LHR flight instead of pushing the passengers onto the generally quiet QF operated DXB-LHR service that departs a similar time. That was supposed to be the culture of the tie up – pushing passengers on each others service.

    I guess the Etihad/Alitalia tie up is different. Etihad has a cash investment in Alitalia so it wants to see a return on that investment.

    I’ve heard good things about their onboard product and service on their newer aircraft.

    But that uniform – hideous! A similar uniform may suit the 20-somethings Etihad recruits in AUH. It doesn’t quite work on the longer serving Alitalia crews.


    alainboy56
    Participant

    @rferguson. The uniform reminds me of the original EY one, which believe it or not, in my opinion was much better that the present nonsense with their purple and orange inserts etc. It’s like the EY aircraft livery, the original, (imho) was much more elegant than this Vueling/Croatian copy that they have now.
    Anyway with regard to your comment, whatever uniform they wear on AZ, it will not change their ‘Roman’ mentality! I have mentioned here on line, and elsewhere that even many, many Italians dislike flying by AZ due to the cabin crew attitude.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    News has emerged that Alitalia will be withdrawing economy class catering on domestic flights. Drinks will still be served.

    It’s unclear whether or not Alitalia will be adopting a BOB system either/or for domestic or short-haul services.

    The report comes from Holland’s Luchtvaatnieuws quoting Alitalia sales manager Margeeth Kappert.


    wowzimmer
    Participant

    I remember years ago when Alitalia was pretty much the laughing stock of all the other airlines in Europe and was pretty much on constant government-funded life support.

    Then Etihad took a stake in it. New uniforms were launched, a new livery and destinations. It felt like Etihad really could turn this beast around!

    But as I read above and in this article it looks like Alitalia and Air Berlin could actually be the downfall of Etihad. Ouch!

    http://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2017/01/12/what-is-the-etihad-airways-alliance-and-has-it-failed/

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