Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary attacks the Italian government, which wants to save the airline Alitalia through nationalization. “We are ready to file a lawsuit in Brussels for unlawful state aid to save Alitalia,” announced the head of the Laudamotion mother in an interview with the Roman daily “La Repubblica” on Saturday.
The Italian government is relying on “North Korean-style rules” to save Alitalia, O’Leary protested. He is trying to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. The boss of the low-cost airline is angry that the government in Rome is making three billion euros available for the rescue of the airline. The three billion euros are just another money that Alitalia will “burn”, said O’Leary.
The Italian government plans to establish a new state company to take over Alitalia. The government-funded company should have been founded by the Ministry of Economy in Rome in early June, but there were delays.
The Ryanair chief warned of a “protectionist attitude” in Italy. The European low-cost flight pioneer warned that this would also have a negative impact on tourism as a whole – from restaurants to hotels.
Alitalia has not made any profit since 2002. Numerous attempts to find a private buyer failed. The company has been insolvent since 2017. The state had recently granted the company around 10,000 jobs with bridging loans worth billions.
Source: APA
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