Alitalia bidder FS likely to be given further month to prepare final offer, industrial plan
Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), the state-owned Italian railway network, is likely to be given until the end of February to present a final offer and industrial plan for troubled airline Alitalia, Italian-language daily Il Messaggero reported. The unsourced report said that the Ministry of Economic Development is likely to delay at FS' request the present deadline of the end of January
The item added that FS has also been in intense negotiations with US airline Delta [NYSE: DAL] over the latter becoming an industrial partner in Alitalia.
The article also noted that Alitalia and FS have also been sounding out other potential partners in order to raise the EUR 2bn to relaunch Alitalia. The item claimed that FS has been looking to raise EUR 100m from Poste Italiane, the Italian post office, while Alitalia advisor Rothschild has been sounding out various funds. The report said that Cerberus is seen as a likely investor.