04:32 pm - Thursday
Alitalia to acquire AirOne's Airbus aircraft
Rome, Italy - € 40 million paid to the small carrier for future plans
(WAPA) - All Airbus aircraft in AirOne's fleet are going to pass to Alitalia. The first airplanes will enter into service with the new livery already in December, while the transfer will be completed by March 2010. This operation is part of the "Fenice" project and stands within the plan to build a "Great Alitalia".
According to the Italian newspaper "Milano Finanza", the former national carrier of Italy would have also paid about € 40 million to AirOne for future capital operations, building a five-year plan that foresees the return in the black of AirOne from 2011.
The small carrier will keep 17 Boeing 737 aircraft with 140 pilots and 170 flight assistants, plus the 10 Bombardier CRJ-900s of its regional subsidiary AirOne Cityliner with its 80 pilots and 80 flight assistants.
Among the main points of the new plan there are: rationalization of overlapping routes; enhanced productivity; cost effectiveness; sales force integration on the territory; better negotiation with travel agencies and suppliers; personnel reduction.
Trade unions are going to oppose this last point, as the methods of transfer of 2,000 AirOne workers to Alitalia, with a strike scheduled on December 9 (see AVIONEWS). (Avionews)
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Direttore Clara Moschini