The airline is suffering from liquidity problems. The union is concerned.
The financial situation of the Italian airline Alitalia is becoming increasingly difficult. The government commissioner responsible for the airline, Giuseppe Leogrande, reported at a meeting with the trade unions that the payment of salaries in February was at risk due to liquidity problems, the workers' associations said.
“If there is no action in favor of the airline, there is a risk that Alitalia will stall with dramatic social consequences,” said a press release by the Alitalia unions on Thursday. Alitalia paid employees' salaries late in December.
The government has approved support funds amounting to 73 million euros to Alitalia due to the corona crisis, but these have not yet been approved by the EU. The airline is therefore faced with liquidity bottlenecks. Last week there were only 70 million euros in the company's coffers. Alitalia consumes 50 million euros per month.
In view of the government crisis in Rome and the designation of ex-ECB boss Mario Draghi as the new prime minister, who has to set up a new cabinet, it is still unclear when the new nationalized Alitalia will be launched. However, it is unlikely that the new airline could emerge as planned in April, it said.
Alitalia has not made a profit since 2002 and has been bankrupt since May 2017. In December 2019, Rome had appointed a new liquidator. Buyers were sought on the international market, but that turned out to be difficult. The German AUA parent Lufthansa had also rejected it several times.
