EasyJet CEO denies interest in Alitalia
(ANSA) – Rome, December 12 – EasyJet Chief Executive Carolyn McCall on Thursday denied the British airline’s possible interest in taking a stake in Alitalia.
The EasyJet CEO thus quashed the hypothesis that it might be among the participants in a 300-million-euro capital increase being raised by Italy’s troubled flagship carrier.
“We do not invest in airline companies because we are an airline company,” said McCall. “It is not part of our plans. Our model is clear and any cooperation or codesharing would complicate things. At the moment we have no intention of complicating life,” McCall said.
Alitalia Chief Executive Gabriele Del Torchio on Tuesday said his company had nearly met the entire capital increase, according to sources at a meeting with unions.
The capital infusion was approved in October by Alitalia shareholders as part of a plan to pull the airline back from the brink of bankruptcy.