Uh Oh: Air Italy Allegedly On The Brink Of Liquidation

This should come as a surprise to no one.

Italian airlines are a lot like Italian cars, high on style and low on reliability. What are the odds that Italy ends up with 0 "national" airlines when the global economy takes its next dip?

1 National airline is probably right sized for Italy, the U.S. really only has 3, plus a few regional players. Italy may have almost as many tourist arrivals as the U.S., but they have a significantly lower population than the U.S. at like 60m vs. 330m. The U.S. is also much more spaced out than Italy and has Italy has an efficient high speed rail system competing for domestic travel.

Ben - I have flights (for three people in business class) booked on Air Italy with avios. If the airline does dissolve would you expect this journey to be reaccommodated on BA? Thanks. Mark

Honestly, let’s all calm down. Alitalia has been ‘bankrupt‘ for longer than I can remember. And yes, I know that is different...government owned etc. But the cash will eventually stop for Alitalia. I don’t see ANY reason why Air Italy will be liquidated

@DLPTATL

What does it mean that Italian airlines are a lot like Italian cars, high on style and low on reliability? Italian stylish cars like Maserati or Ferrari, how in heaven would you consider these unreliable? On which basis or facts? Very honestly I look at this statement as very inappropriate or even worse it doesn't make sense, maybe it's just a bit insolent and for no reason at all.

Moreover, which Italian airline would be stylish? The only one that has raised the bar is Air Italy, former Meridiana, thanks to Qatar Airways initiative. Other than that I don't recall any stylish Italian airline, but maybe you can refresh my memory.

I travel to/from Italy quite a bit. Italy and businessmen really need a reliable carrier. Most of my contacts find it easier to fly Internationally via Frankfurt or Muc.

@nicola apologies, I should have named my sources. According to JD Power and Associates Alpha Romeo is 29th out of the 30 largest automakers for reliability. Cadillac is in last place. Exotic cars, like Ferrari, are notoriously unreliable...

I would note that despite all of their financial troubles, Alitalia never fails to roll out new and stylish uniforms every few years.

Air Italy lost €164 million in 2018, and that was based on revenue of €283.

@Ben their revenue in 2018 seemed like less than what China Southern charges for a one-way domestic “First class” ticket in China 😉

@DLPTATL

Alfa Romeo used to be (over 40 years ago) a stylish car able to compete with the likes of BMW with rear traction and very powerful technical features. But in 1987 it became part of FIAT and that is when the once stylish Italian brand (owned by the Italian government) became a FIAT, not only in terms of ownership but also in terms of quality. Today the brand is far from being recognized, in Italy itself, as a stylish brand. Today Alfa Romeo is competing with Renault and Peugeot, not with Mercedes, Audi and BMW. Moreover Fiat and Alfa Romeo are now part of the giant FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) with HQ in London (Fiscal Hub) and Amsterdam (Legal Hub), therefore it's no longer Italian owned.

So if you wish to name Italian stylish cars, once again, these would be Maserati and Ferrari (also Lamborghini is no longer Italian but German owned by Audi).

they're done: https://www.airitaly.com/en/

This is good news not just for Alitalia, but also for American jobs at US carriers that were targeted by a carrier that never intended to be profitable. While the folks at Air Italy may be out of a job, at least the people of Delta, American, and United will have fair competition, rather than having to deal with absurd money losing Air Italy routes such as SFO-MXP. I am surprised but glad to hear that the blank check that the Qatari government handed to Air Italy has been cancelled.

Remind me to sell, majortity shareholder, the Aga Khan a bridge I have going cheap.

At the weekend, I read in the Financial Times how he was scammed out of €20m by 'ransom experts' purportedly trying to release Syrian hostages. Sending money to anonymous Cypriot and Chinese bank accounts upon the instructions of phone conversations with total strangers is, apparently, very normal in these circles.

Remember you have 120 days from your departure date to call your credit card company to dispute your purchase if you are not issued a credit by the airline.

@DLPTATL, it's an old joke, but FIAT stands for "Fix It Again Tony". Italian cars have historically been unreliable. Look up any Consumers Report.

@Etoile

It was Skype video call and the fraudster wore a rubber mask.

Unless this is a case of how do you make a small fortune in the airline industry? Start with a big one, chances are that he was just a front for the Qataris true some kind of soft loan.

It's looking like Alitalia will shut up shop as well leaving Italy without a flag carrier.