ITA Airways Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Fabio Lazzerini has teased that the airline is studying projects related to its predecessor brand, Alitalia.
Lazzerini claimed that the Alitalia brand 鈥渨ill return to the market,鈥 and that ITA Airways is looking at 鈥渁 couple of interesting projects鈥 related to the airline’s name. Alitalia operated between 1947 and October 2021. The executive spoke to reporters during an opening event for a new boarding area at Terminal 1 at Rome鈥揊iumicino International Airport (FCO), according to local media .听
ITA Airways bought the Alitalia brand shortly after overtaking the defunct airline精东影业 operations for 鈧90 million ($98.7 million).
During the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2022, Lazzerini FlightGlobal that the new Italian airline had 鈥渁 couple of very nice and creative ideas鈥 for the Alitalia name.
鈥淚t精东影业 a brand which has a value and鈥 we think we can leverage very well the power of that brand,鈥 Lazzerini added, noting that it will be a separate project.
ITA Airways was born out of the ashes of Alitalia on October 15, 2021, on the same day the former flag carrier ceased operations, with the Italian government beginning a restructuring process previously.
The European Commission (EC) concluded in September 2021 that ITA Airways was not the economic successor of Alitalia, allowing the airline to avoid repaying two state aid loans worth 鈧900 million ($987.6 million). The EC also stated that the bankrupt airline精东影业 brand 鈥渨ill be sold in an open, transparent, non-discriminatory and unconditional tender to the highest bidder,鈥 with the new Italian airline being able to bid. The commission also approved Italy精东影业 鈧1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) capital injection into ITA Airways, with the Italian state having already given more than 鈧1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) to the new airline.
According to Lazzerini, since the company精东影业 cash position is currently 鈥渆xcellent鈥, the last available tranche of 鈧250 million ($274.4 million) is not necessary.
In March 2023, the EC ruled that the Italian state must recover 鈧400 million ($439.1 million) plus interest from Alitalia.
