Alitalia
Encyclopedia
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. (Italian
for Alitalia - Italian Air Lines), in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier. Based in Rome
, the company had been in precarious economic conditions for many years and is currently under liquidation.
The Italian government and some other organizations have invested €4.9 billion since 1998. Several attempts to take over or merge Alitalia were made between 2005 and 2009. In 2006 the government could no longer offer support to the failing airline since it had been forbidden by the European Union to inject new capital. In August 2008 Alitalia went bankrupt. Compagnia Aerea Italiana (CAI) bought the Alitalia brand and some assets for €1.052 billion ($1.33 billion), paying €427 million in cash and taking on €625 million in Alitalia debts on December 12, 2008.
portmanteau of the words ali (wings) and Italia (Italy). It started operations on 5 May 1947, in which year it carried over 10,000 passengers. The inaugural flight was with a Fiat G-12 Alcione, piloted by Virginio Reinero from Turin
to Catania
and Rome
.
The first intercontinental flight left a year later, flying between Milan
and cities in South America
. The Savoia-Marchetti SM.95
four engined airliner was used on European routes up to 1949. On 31 October 1957, Alitalia merged with Linee Aeree Italiane and took on the name of Alitalia Linee Aeree Italiane. Alitalia was owned by the Italian Ministry of the Treasury (49%), other shareholders, including employees (49%) and Air France-KLM
(2%, now: 25%).
By 1960, Alitalia was operating jet airliner equipment on some European routes (the Sud Caravelle) and the Douglas DC-8
on several longer distance routes.
In 1978 Alitalia had its head office in the Palazzo Alitalia in Rome
.
By the 1990s, Alitalia was carrying 25 million passengers annually. In 1997 it set up a regional subsidiary Alitalia Express
and in 2001 became a member of the SkyTeam
Alliance. In November 2003 Alitalia announced that it would cut 2,700 jobs over the next three years to prepare the airline for a merger with Air France
and KLM. In April 2004 Alitalia acquired the bankrupt regional airline
Gandalf Airlines
to gain additional slots at several European airports, mainly in Milan (Linate) and Paris
(Charles De Gaulle).
Alitalia employed 18,182 staff as of March 2007.
Typically, the Pope
flies on a chartered Alitalia Jet. The Pope's flight is often nicknamed "Shepherd One" by the press, while the actual callsign is "Volo Papale" (papal flight, in Italian) followed by a serial number.
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. lost money for years owing to problems with pilots and crew members and labour difficulties, and to government and political interference with attempts to solve them. The Italian government supported Alitalia many times until the European Union set a moratorium on any support before 2011. Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. did not survive this moratorium. Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. went into liquidation in 2008. The viable parts of Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. were bought by the private company Alitalia - Compagnia Aerea Italiana
on December 12, 2008, which started operations on January 13, 2009.
Alitalia has reported only one year of profit (1998) since its foundation in 1946. Alitalia reported net losses of more than €3.7 billion between 1999 and 2008. Previous state aid to Alitalia included some €1.5 billion in 1998 from the government of premier Romano Prodi. In 2002 Alitalia received a capital increase of €1.432 billion under the government of Silvio Berlusconi. In 2004 the Berlusconi government gave a €400mn 'bridge' loan to Alitalia. In 2005 the capital of Alitalia was increased by €1.6 billion, including an over €500mn bond float issued with the promise of a return to profit in 2006. (Unfortunately the year ended with a loss of €626 million). In 2008 the Italian government gave a bridging loan of €300mn to Alitalia.
The government could in 2006 no longer offer support to the failing airline since it had been forbidden by the European Union to inject new capital. Therefore, as all other attempts to save the company had failed, the Italian government announced its willingness to lead Alitalia towards privatization by lowering its part of ownership in it. Several failed attempts to take over or merge Alitalia were made.
In May 2008 the government issued a decree
that would exempt Alitalia from disclosing information on this sale to the market. As a consequence the trade in Alitalia stock at the Borsa Italiana
in Milan was halted indefinitely by the stock exchange authorities as of 4 June 2008. Intesa Sanpaolo
, as requested by the government, devised a plan in co-operation with the Italian cabinet. The plan was that Alitalia would file for bankruptcy, and thus be protected from its creditors. The next step of the plan was to split Alitalia in two parts, one part containing the debts and less promising parts of the company. After negotiations under supervision of the Italian government Alitalia filed for bankruptcy in August 2008.
In September 2008, Pope Benedict XVI revealed that he was offering his prayer for Alitalia, the official papal airline, after takeover talks broke down.
CAI, Compagnia Aerea Italiana, a consortium of Italian investors, presented a binding offer of €1,100 million to Alitalia's bankruptcy administrator on 30 October 2008 to acquire parts of the airline, pressing ahead despite refusal by some pilots and flight attendants' unions to sign on to the rescue plan. The Italian government and the bankruptcy administrator agreed to the CAI takeover offer on 19 November 2008. The profitable assets of Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. were transferred to CAI on December 12, 2008, when CAI paid the offered sum. CAI paid €1.052 billion ($1.33 billion), paying €427 million in cash and taking on €625 million in Alitalia debts. CAI is liable for all Alitalia expenses per 1 December 2008. CAI bought Air One
as well.
) was put up for sale. Alitalia bid to buy the group (other bidders were Air One
and Meridiana
/Eurofly
). Air One
went to court claiming that Alitalia could not buy Volare Group as it had received state aid in the past. The TAR (Regional Administrative Tribunal) of Lazio tried to block Alitalia's acquisition of Volare Group but abandoned the attempt, claiming that Alitalia had repaid its €400 million loan and so there would be nothing stopping it from buying Volare Group. Air One also went to court, unsuccessfully. Alitalia created Volare SpA to buy the Volare Group. The airlines were becoming closer and Volare Group had started providing soft maintenance services for some Alitalia aircraft in Milan Malpensa airport. However, the Italian Consiglio di Stato (State Council) on 23 May 2006 has once again blocked the acquisition of the airline. It is not clear what is going to happen as Volare is in serious financial difficulties. On November 2, 2006 TAR court decided that the administrative procedure used by the Italian government to sell Volare to Alitalia was invalid but the selling contract is still valid because the administrative court was declared incompetent about this topic. If Air One wants to obtain Volare it will have to go to the local civil court and ask it to declare that the selling contract is invalid.
The EU airlines went to the European Courts, as they claimed that the development of Milan Malpensa and the closure of Milan Linate would provide an anti-competitive situation in favour of Alitalia. They claimed that Alitalia could go on feeding its Fiumicino hub from Linate but they could not. Furthermore they claimed that Malpensa was too far (40 km) and lacked the infrastructure to/from the city (the rail link would open a year after the opening of the hub). After many court disputes the EU decided to leave 33% of the flights at Linate until the rail link opened.
KLM broke off the alliance with Alitalia; and Cempella (head of Alitalia) was replaced by Mengozzi, who had the role of getting Alitalia back on track. In 2000 he signed a 2% share exchange with Air France
and in 2001 joined the SkyTeam alliance.
In 2001 Alitalia renewed the ground handling contract with SEA.
In September 2007, Alitalia announced that it would nearly halve its hub at Malpensa and instead focus on Rome-Fiumicino and move all intercontinental flights there. Until this announcement, Malpensa had been Alitalia's primary hub for intercontinental flights. The transition away from Malpensa and towards Rome-Fiumicino was completed by the end of March 2008. Minor intercontentinental destinations, which previously received flights only from Malpensa, henceforth received only flights from Rome-Fiumicino, or else were discontinued.
The European Court of Justice
has in July 2008 rejected an appeal by Alitalia against the European Commission
in a long-running inquiry into Italian state aid. The airline challenged conditions set by the commission in 2001 for the use of state aid in restructuring the company. The court ruling does not impose any new conditions on Alitalia and the commission considers the case settled. A statement: "the Court of First Instance dismisses Alitalia's action and confirms that the commission's decision of 2001 is valid". The court: "confirms the validity of each of the conditions imposed on Alitalia by the commission". These conditions were:
Alitalia Servizi also provided IT services for the Alitalia Group (which were be partly outsourced) and ground handling in London Heathrow. It provided passenger handling in Brussels, Athens and Frankfurt. Alitalia Servizi was 49% owned by Fintecna (State agency). By 2008 it could have been sold as a whole or piece by piece as the agreements with the trade unions prevented Alitalia from selling Alitalia Servizi before 2008. Due to the Alitalia reorganisation Alitalia Servizi was never sold.
Established in 1947, Alitalia Cargo became a member of SkyTeam Cargo
in 2001. Destinations concentrate on strategic markets in China, Korea, Japan and the USA.
Alitalia Cargo had a fleet of 5 MD-11
freighter aircraft operating from Malpensa International Airport.
Due to financial turmoil Alitalia cargo division was sold off to new owners in 2009.
Alitalia Cargo ceased operations on 12 January 2009.
The Alitalia fleet consisted of the following aircraft (at 31 March 2008):
*Magnifica is the name of the Business Class offered on International medium-long haul flights.
alliance programme, allowing passengers to collect miles and redeem them with free tickets across the whole alliance.
, and 28 aircraft accidents/incidents
involved Alitalia planes. Two Alitalia pilots were killed while acting as passengers during the 1994 A330 test flight
. Alitalia actually never purchased the A330, and dedicated two Boeing 767
aircraft to the lost pilots Alberto Nassetti
and Pier Paolo Racchetti. In 1983 a hjacked DC-10 Alitalia landed at Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport
under orders by hijacker.
. The airline's last head office was on Viale Alessandro Marchetti. In 1992 Agis Salpukas of The New York Times
described the then-new headquarters building as "sleek." Originally the airline had its head office at Via Maresciallo Pilsudski. In 1967 Alitalia moved its head office to a newly constructed building in the Esposizione Universale Roma
(EUR) in Rome. That head office, the Palazzo Alitlaia, was on and Piazzale Giulio Pastore.
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
for Alitalia - Italian Air Lines), in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier. Based in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, the company had been in precarious economic conditions for many years and is currently under liquidation.
The Italian government and some other organizations have invested €4.9 billion since 1998. Several attempts to take over or merge Alitalia were made between 2005 and 2009. In 2006 the government could no longer offer support to the failing airline since it had been forbidden by the European Union to inject new capital. In August 2008 Alitalia went bankrupt. Compagnia Aerea Italiana (CAI) bought the Alitalia brand and some assets for €1.052 billion ($1.33 billion), paying €427 million in cash and taking on €625 million in Alitalia debts on December 12, 2008.
History
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. was established on 16 September 1946 as Aerolinee Italiane Internazionali, more commonly known as Alitalia, an ItalianItalian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
portmanteau of the words ali (wings) and Italia (Italy). It started operations on 5 May 1947, in which year it carried over 10,000 passengers. The inaugural flight was with a Fiat G-12 Alcione, piloted by Virginio Reinero from Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
to Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
The first intercontinental flight left a year later, flying between Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and cities in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The Savoia-Marchetti SM.95
Savoia-Marchetti SM.95
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Angelucci, Enzi. World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London: Willow Books, 1984. ISBN 0-00-218148-7....
four engined airliner was used on European routes up to 1949. On 31 October 1957, Alitalia merged with Linee Aeree Italiane and took on the name of Alitalia Linee Aeree Italiane. Alitalia was owned by the Italian Ministry of the Treasury (49%), other shareholders, including employees (49%) and Air France-KLM
Air France-KLM
Air France-KLM is a European airline holding company incorporated under French law with its headquarters at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in Tremblay-en-France, Paris...
(2%, now: 25%).
By 1960, Alitalia was operating jet airliner equipment on some European routes (the Sud Caravelle) and the Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
on several longer distance routes.
In 1978 Alitalia had its head office in the Palazzo Alitalia in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Alitalia Express
Alitalia Express S.p.A. was a regional airline based in Rome, Italy and a wholly owned subsidiary of Alitalia. It operated regional scheduled and charter services on behalf of Alitalia. Its main bases were Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport, Rome, and Malpensa International Airport, Milan...
and in 2001 became a member of the SkyTeam
SkyTeam
SkyTeam, branded as SKYTEAM, is an airline alliance with its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands...
Alliance. In November 2003 Alitalia announced that it would cut 2,700 jobs over the next three years to prepare the airline for a merger with Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
and KLM. In April 2004 Alitalia acquired the bankrupt regional airline
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
Gandalf Airlines
Gandalf Airlines
Gandalf Airlines was a regional airline based at Orio al Serio Airport near Milan, Italy. It operated a fleet of Dornier 328 aircraft in both jet and turboprop versions to a number of European destinations: Barcelona, Bari, Brescia, Brussels, Catania, Florence, Madrid, Milan, Paris , Paris , Pisa,...
to gain additional slots at several European airports, mainly in Milan (Linate) and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(Charles De Gaulle).
Alitalia employed 18,182 staff as of March 2007.
Typically, the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
flies on a chartered Alitalia Jet. The Pope's flight is often nicknamed "Shepherd One" by the press, while the actual callsign is "Volo Papale" (papal flight, in Italian) followed by a serial number.
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. lost money for years owing to problems with pilots and crew members and labour difficulties, and to government and political interference with attempts to solve them. The Italian government supported Alitalia many times until the European Union set a moratorium on any support before 2011. Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. did not survive this moratorium. Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. went into liquidation in 2008. The viable parts of Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. were bought by the private company Alitalia - Compagnia Aerea Italiana
Alitalia
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier...
on December 12, 2008, which started operations on January 13, 2009.
The government could in 2006 no longer offer support to the failing airline since it had been forbidden by the European Union to inject new capital. Therefore, as all other attempts to save the company had failed, the Italian government announced its willingness to lead Alitalia towards privatization by lowering its part of ownership in it. Several failed attempts to take over or merge Alitalia were made.
In May 2008 the government issued a decree
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
that would exempt Alitalia from disclosing information on this sale to the market. As a consequence the trade in Alitalia stock at the Borsa Italiana
Borsa Italiana
The Borsa Italiana S.p.A., based in Milan, is Italy's main stock exchange. It was privatised in 1997 and is a part of the London Stock Exchange Group plc since 2007. In 2005, the companies listed on the Borsa were worth US$890 billion...
in Milan was halted indefinitely by the stock exchange authorities as of 4 June 2008. Intesa Sanpaolo
Intesa Sanpaolo
Intesa Sanpaolo is a banking group resulting from the merger between Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI based in Turin, Italy. It has clear leadership in the Italian market and a minor but growing international presence focused on Central-Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa Intesa Sanpaolo...
, as requested by the government, devised a plan in co-operation with the Italian cabinet. The plan was that Alitalia would file for bankruptcy, and thus be protected from its creditors. The next step of the plan was to split Alitalia in two parts, one part containing the debts and less promising parts of the company. After negotiations under supervision of the Italian government Alitalia filed for bankruptcy in August 2008.
In September 2008, Pope Benedict XVI revealed that he was offering his prayer for Alitalia, the official papal airline, after takeover talks broke down.
CAI, Compagnia Aerea Italiana, a consortium of Italian investors, presented a binding offer of €1,100 million to Alitalia's bankruptcy administrator on 30 October 2008 to acquire parts of the airline, pressing ahead despite refusal by some pilots and flight attendants' unions to sign on to the rescue plan. The Italian government and the bankruptcy administrator agreed to the CAI takeover offer on 19 November 2008. The profitable assets of Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. were transferred to CAI on December 12, 2008, when CAI paid the offered sum. CAI paid €1.052 billion ($1.33 billion), paying €427 million in cash and taking on €625 million in Alitalia debts. CAI is liable for all Alitalia expenses per 1 December 2008. CAI bought Air One
Air One
Air One "Smart Carrier" is Alitalia's LCC subsidiary based in Milan Malpensa Airport and headquartered in Fiumicino, Italy. Before the merger with Alitalia, Air One was a competitor, the second largest airline in Italy, with a high-frequency scheduled network to 36 destinations in Italy, Europe and...
as well.
Volare controversy
In December 2005, the bankrupt Volare Group (Volareweb, Air EuropeAir Europe (Italy)
Air Europe was an airline based in Malpensa International Airport, Italy. It was at the time of closure part of the Alitalia S.p.A. group.Air Europe suspended operations in December 2008 after Compagnia Aerea Italiana decided to close down the Air Europe brand...
) was put up for sale. Alitalia bid to buy the group (other bidders were Air One
Air One
Air One "Smart Carrier" is Alitalia's LCC subsidiary based in Milan Malpensa Airport and headquartered in Fiumicino, Italy. Before the merger with Alitalia, Air One was a competitor, the second largest airline in Italy, with a high-frequency scheduled network to 36 destinations in Italy, Europe and...
and Meridiana
Meridiana
Meridiana fly is an airline with its head office on the grounds of Olbia - Costa Smeralda Airport in Olbia, Sardinia, Italy. It is Italy's second largest airline operating domestic and European services, as well as intercontinental flights. The airline mainly operates out of Cagliari-Elmas Airport,...
/Eurofly
Eurofly
Eurofly was a privately owned airline based in Milan, Italy. Listed on MTA Stock Exchange and controlled by Meridiana, it was Italy’s leading carrier in leisure flights market and mainly operated international, medium to long haul, point-to-point flights....
). Air One
Air One
Air One "Smart Carrier" is Alitalia's LCC subsidiary based in Milan Malpensa Airport and headquartered in Fiumicino, Italy. Before the merger with Alitalia, Air One was a competitor, the second largest airline in Italy, with a high-frequency scheduled network to 36 destinations in Italy, Europe and...
went to court claiming that Alitalia could not buy Volare Group as it had received state aid in the past. The TAR (Regional Administrative Tribunal) of Lazio tried to block Alitalia's acquisition of Volare Group but abandoned the attempt, claiming that Alitalia had repaid its €400 million loan and so there would be nothing stopping it from buying Volare Group. Air One also went to court, unsuccessfully. Alitalia created Volare SpA to buy the Volare Group. The airlines were becoming closer and Volare Group had started providing soft maintenance services for some Alitalia aircraft in Milan Malpensa airport. However, the Italian Consiglio di Stato (State Council) on 23 May 2006 has once again blocked the acquisition of the airline. It is not clear what is going to happen as Volare is in serious financial difficulties. On November 2, 2006 TAR court decided that the administrative procedure used by the Italian government to sell Volare to Alitalia was invalid but the selling contract is still valid because the administrative court was declared incompetent about this topic. If Air One wants to obtain Volare it will have to go to the local civil court and ask it to declare that the selling contract is invalid.
Malpensa hub
In 1995 Alitalia signed a partnership with KLM which aimed at a merger. The aim of the partnership was to develop Malpensa as a hub, along with Amsterdam (which lacked enough landing slots to expand further) and Rome Fiumicino. The problem was that in Milan there are two airports: Milan Linate (close to city centre but small) and Milan Malpensa (far from city but large and expandable). The Italian Government planned to move all flights to Milan Malpensa, apart from Milan-Rome Fiumicino.The EU airlines went to the European Courts, as they claimed that the development of Milan Malpensa and the closure of Milan Linate would provide an anti-competitive situation in favour of Alitalia. They claimed that Alitalia could go on feeding its Fiumicino hub from Linate but they could not. Furthermore they claimed that Malpensa was too far (40 km) and lacked the infrastructure to/from the city (the rail link would open a year after the opening of the hub). After many court disputes the EU decided to leave 33% of the flights at Linate until the rail link opened.
KLM broke off the alliance with Alitalia; and Cempella (head of Alitalia) was replaced by Mengozzi, who had the role of getting Alitalia back on track. In 2000 he signed a 2% share exchange with Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
and in 2001 joined the SkyTeam alliance.
In 2001 Alitalia renewed the ground handling contract with SEA.
In September 2007, Alitalia announced that it would nearly halve its hub at Malpensa and instead focus on Rome-Fiumicino and move all intercontinental flights there. Until this announcement, Malpensa had been Alitalia's primary hub for intercontinental flights. The transition away from Malpensa and towards Rome-Fiumicino was completed by the end of March 2008. Minor intercontentinental destinations, which previously received flights only from Malpensa, henceforth received only flights from Rome-Fiumicino, or else were discontinued.
Lawsuits and complaints
In December 2005, Italy's antitrust agency fined Alitalia €30,000 for misleading consumers by advertising a round-trip flight tariff while showing only the price of a one-way ticket. The antitrust agency in a statement said the advertisement appeared on Alitalia's web site during May and June 2005.The European Court of Justice
European Court of Justice
The Court can sit in plenary session, as a Grand Chamber of 13 judges, or in chambers of three or five judges. Plenary sitting are now very rare, and the court mostly sits in chambers of three or five judges...
has in July 2008 rejected an appeal by Alitalia against the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
in a long-running inquiry into Italian state aid. The airline challenged conditions set by the commission in 2001 for the use of state aid in restructuring the company. The court ruling does not impose any new conditions on Alitalia and the commission considers the case settled. A statement: "the Court of First Instance dismisses Alitalia's action and confirms that the commission's decision of 2001 is valid". The court: "confirms the validity of each of the conditions imposed on Alitalia by the commission". These conditions were:
- a requirement that the Italian authorities act as a normal shareholder;
- that cash injections be used only for restructuring Alitalia and not for expanding the business;
- that Alitalia sells its holding in the Hungarian airline Malev;
- and that the state aid take the form of a one-off payment.
Alitalia Servizi
Carlo Cimoli, after becoming President and CEO of the Alitalia Group, divided the group into two holdings to cut costs. Alitalia (referred to as Alitalia Fly) controlled Alitalia Express, Volare SpA, Volare Airlines and Air Europe. Furthermore it controlled 51% of Alitalia Servizi SpA which owned the following companies:- Alitalia AirportAlitalia AirportAlitalia Airport S.p.A. in administration was a subsidiary of Alitalia Servizi, which had the task of coordinating the functions of handling or passenger service and aircraft, Alitalia, carrier partners and third party customers...
(100%): ground handling services in Rome Fiumicino, Palermo, Cagliari and London Heathrow (under the Alitalia Servizi brand). It provided passenger handling services in: Catania, Naples. - Alitalia Maintenance Systems (60%): maintenance services, it was 40% controlled by Lufthansa Technik.
- Atitech (100%): maintenance services in Naples.
Alitalia Servizi also provided IT services for the Alitalia Group (which were be partly outsourced) and ground handling in London Heathrow. It provided passenger handling in Brussels, Athens and Frankfurt. Alitalia Servizi was 49% owned by Fintecna (State agency). By 2008 it could have been sold as a whole or piece by piece as the agreements with the trade unions prevented Alitalia from selling Alitalia Servizi before 2008. Due to the Alitalia reorganisation Alitalia Servizi was never sold.
Alitalia Cargo
SkyTeam Cargo
SkyTeam Cargo is a global cargo alliance in which all members are also members of the SkyTeam airline alliance. SkyTeam Cargo is currently the largest cargo alliance, and is competing with the WOW Alliance.-History:...
in 2001. Destinations concentrate on strategic markets in China, Korea, Japan and the USA.
Alitalia Cargo had a fleet of 5 MD-11
McDonnell Douglas MD-11
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is a three-engine medium- to long-range widebody jet airliner, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas and, later, by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Based on the DC-10, it features a stretched fuselage, increased wingspan with winglets, refined airfoils on the wing and smaller...
freighter aircraft operating from Malpensa International Airport.
Due to financial turmoil Alitalia cargo division was sold off to new owners in 2009.
Alitalia Cargo ceased operations on 12 January 2009.
Fleet
| Aircraft | Total | Passengers (Magnifica*/Economy) |
Routes | Notes | Livery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319 | 12 | 126 | Domestic/International short-medium haul | Alitalia | |
| Airbus A320-214 | 11 | 153 | Domestic/International short-medium haul | Alitalia | |
| Airbus A321-112 | 23 | 187 | Domestic/International short-medium haul | Alitalia | |
| Boeing 767-300ER Boeing 767 The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail... |
6 | 214 (25/189) | International medium-long haul Accra, Boston, Caracas, Chicago, Lagos, New York JFK, Toronto |
Alitalia | |
| Boeing 777-200ER Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... |
10 | 291 (42/249) | International long haul Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Miami, Osaka São Paulo, Tokyo |
Alitalia | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 71 | 141 164 |
Domestic/International short-medium haul | Alitalia | |
| ATR 72 ATR 72 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology... -200 |
4 | 66 | Regional routes | Alitalia Express | |
| ATR 72 ATR 72 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology... -500 |
6 | 66 | Regional routes | Alitalia Express | |
| Embraer ERJ-145 | 14 | 48 | Domestic/International short-medium haul | Alitalia Express | |
| Embraer ERJ-170 | 6 | 72 | Domestic/International short-medium haul | Alitalia Express | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-11 McDonnell Douglas MD-11 The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is a three-engine medium- to long-range widebody jet airliner, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas and, later, by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Based on the DC-10, it features a stretched fuselage, increased wingspan with winglets, refined airfoils on the wing and smaller... |
5 | 82 tons. | operated by Alitalia Cargo |
*Magnifica is the name of the Business Class offered on International medium-long haul flights.
Aircraft operated
The airline operated the following aircraft:- Airbus A300Airbus A300The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
- Avro LancastrianAvro Lancastrian|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Franks, Richard A. The Avro Lancaster, Manchester and Lincoln: A Comprehensive Guide for the Modeller. London: SAM Publications, 2000. ISBN 0-9533465-3-6....
- Avro RJ70 (Alitalia Express)
- Boeing 727Boeing 727The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
- Boeing 747Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
- Convair 240Convair 240The Convair CV-240 was an American airliner produced by Convair from 1947 to 1954, initially as a possible replacement of the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. While featuring a more modern design, the 240 series was able to make some inroads as a commercial airliner and also had a long development cycle...
(L.A.I. Linee Aeree Italiane) - Convair 340 (then Convair 440)
- Convair 440 Metropolitan
- Curtiss C-46 Commando (Alitalia and Società Aerea Mediterranea, S.A.M.)
- Dornier 328Dornier 328|-See also:- References :* Swanborough, Gordon. "Dornier 328: A Daimler for Commuters". Air International, March 1992, Vol. 42 No. 3. pp. 123–128. ISSN 0306-5634....
(Alitalia Express) - Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
(L.A.I., Alitalia and S.A.M.) - Douglas DC-4Douglas DC-4The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
- Douglas DC-6Douglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
(Alitalia, L.A.I. and S.A.M.) - Douglas DC-7Douglas DC-7The Douglas DC-7 is an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston engine powered transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8.-Design and...
- Douglas DC-8Douglas DC-8The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
- Douglas DC-9 (Alitalia, A.T.I. and Aermediterranea)
- Douglas DC-10
- Fiat G.12Fiat G.12-See also:-References:* Angelucci, Enzo The World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. London:Jane's Publishing, 1981. ISBN 0-7106-0148-4.* Angelucci, Enzo The World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft, London, 1987....
Alcione - Fokker F27Fokker F27The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
Friendship (A.T.I.) - Fokker F70 (Alitalia Express)
- Savoia-Marchetti SM.95Savoia-Marchetti SM.95|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Angelucci, Enzi. World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London: Willow Books, 1984. ISBN 0-00-218148-7....
- Sud Aviation CaravelleSud Aviation CaravelleThe Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle was the first short/medium-range jet airliner produced by the French Sud Aviation firm starting in 1955 . The Caravelle was one of the more successful European first generation jetliners, selling throughout Europe and even penetrating the United States market, with...
(Alitalia e S.A.M.) - Vickers ViscountVickers ViscountThe Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
(L.A.I. and Alitalia)
MilleMiglia
The airline's frequent flyer programme was named "MilleMiglia", and was part of the SkyTeamSkyTeam
SkyTeam, branded as SKYTEAM, is an airline alliance with its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands...
alliance programme, allowing passengers to collect miles and redeem them with free tickets across the whole alliance.
Incidents and accidents
Seven Alitalia flights had been hijackedAircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
, and 28 aircraft accidents/incidents
Aviation accidents and incidents
An aviation accident is defined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, in which a...
involved Alitalia planes. Two Alitalia pilots were killed while acting as passengers during the 1994 A330 test flight
1994 A330 test flight crash
The 1994 A330 test flight crash occurred on when an Airbus A330-300, registration F-WWKH, crashed at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport while undergoing performance tests. It was the first fatal accident involving an Airbus A330 as well as the first hull-loss of the type...
. Alitalia actually never purchased the A330, and dedicated two Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
aircraft to the lost pilots Alberto Nassetti
Alberto Nassetti
Alberto Nassetti was an Italian aviator.- Career :After graduating the Francesco De Pinedo technical and aeronautical institute of Rome, Alberto joined the Italian airline Alitalia, where he flew the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 on medium haul routes...
and Pier Paolo Racchetti. In 1983 a hjacked DC-10 Alitalia landed at Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Carolina, Puerto Rico, three miles southeast of San Juan. Over 4 million passengers board a plane at the airport per year according to FAA reports . It is owned and managed by the Puerto Rico Ports...
under orders by hijacker.
| Flight | Date | Aircraft | Location | Description | Injuries | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | Uninjured | |||||
| 451 | December 18, 1954 | Douglas DC-6 Douglas DC-6 The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range... |
New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... , New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
Circled for 2½ hours in fog; during the fourth landing attempt, the plane overshot the runway and crashed | 26 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| December 21, 1959 | Vickers Viscount Vickers Viscount The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world... |
Ciampino Airport Ciampino Airport -Access:There is no rail transport at Ciampino Airport. There are direct bus connections both to Roma Termini railway station and to close local stations... , Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... |
I-LIZT crashed short of the runway at on a training flight exercise in landing with two engines inoperative. Both people on board were killed. | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| February 26, 1960 | Douglas DC-7 Douglas DC-7 The Douglas DC-7 is an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston engine powered transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8.-Design and... C |
Shannon, Ireland | The aircraft stalled and crashed on takeoff for unknown reasons. | 34 | 18 | 0 | 0 | |
| 771 Alitalia Flight 771 Alitalia Flight 771 was a multi-leg Douglas DC-8-43 international scheduled flight from Sydney via Darwin, Bangkok, Bombay, Karachi and Tehran to Rome with 94 on board... |
July 7, 1962 | Douglas DC-8 Douglas DC-8 The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company... |
Sahar International Airport, Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million... |
Controlled flight into terrain Controlled flight into terrain Controlled flight into terrain describes an accident in which an airworthy aircraft, under pilot control, is unintentionally flown into the ground, a mountain, water, or an obstacle. The term was coined by engineers at Boeing in the late 1970s... |
94 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| March 28, 1964 | Vickers Viscount Vickers Viscount The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world... |
Monte Somma Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting... , Italy |
I-LAKE crashed into Monte Somma, killing all on board. | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 112 Alitalia Flight 112 Alitalia Flight 112 was a scheduled flight from Leonardo da Vinci Airport, in Rome, Italy, to Palermo International Airport in Palermo, Italy, with 115 on board. On 5 May 1972, it crashed into Mount Longa, about 5 km south-west of Palermo while on approach... |
May 5, 1972 | Douglas DC-8 Douglas DC-8 The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company... |
Palermo Palermo Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Crashed due to inclement weather | 115 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4128 Alitalia Flight 4128 Alitalia Flight 4128 was a scheduled flight from Leonardo da Vinci Airport, in Rome, Italy, to Palermo International Airport in Palermo, Italy, with 129 on board. On December 23, 1978, it crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea about 3 km north of Palermo while on approach... |
December 23, 1978 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9 McDonnell Douglas DC-9 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by... |
Palermo Palermo Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... Punta Raisi Airport |
Crashed into sea just short of the runway | 107 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| 404 Alitalia Flight 404 Alitalia Flight 404, flown by a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 aircraft, crashed near the Zurich-Kloten Airport, Switzerland on 14 November 1990. The airplane with 46 people on board made a controlled flight into the mountain Stadlerberg, 5 miles short of the runway, because of a faulty ILS receiver... |
November 14, 1990 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9 McDonnell Douglas DC-9 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by... |
Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich... |
Crashed into a mountain | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Head office
Alitalia's head office was located in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The airline's last head office was on Viale Alessandro Marchetti. In 1992 Agis Salpukas of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described the then-new headquarters building as "sleek." Originally the airline had its head office at Via Maresciallo Pilsudski. In 1967 Alitalia moved its head office to a newly constructed building in the Esposizione Universale Roma
Esposizione Universale Roma
EUR is a residential and business district in Rome, Italy, located south of the city center. The area was originally chosen in 1930s as the site for the 1942 world's fair which Benito Mussolini planned to open to celebrate twenty years of Fascism. EUR was also designed to direct the expansion of...
(EUR) in Rome. That head office, the Palazzo Alitlaia, was on and Piazzale Giulio Pastore.
See also
- Alitalia ExpressAlitalia ExpressAlitalia Express S.p.A. was a regional airline based in Rome, Italy and a wholly owned subsidiary of Alitalia. It operated regional scheduled and charter services on behalf of Alitalia. Its main bases were Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport, Rome, and Malpensa International Airport, Milan...