Alitalia

The Italian government has given the green light to privatization of ITA Airways, the successor of Alitalia currently being eyed by Lufthansa and MSC.

ITA, which began operating in October out of the ashes of loss-making Alitalia, is valued at between 1.2 billion and 1.4 billion euros, a financial source told AFP.

Alitalia shut down after 75 years

Frayed teddy bears and broken toy cars resurrect under the magic touch of Guido Pacelli, a modern-day Geppetto who works overtime so that Rome's poor and sick children wake up to a gift on Christmas morning.

24-hour strike of the air and ground staff of the national air carrier of Italy.

Over 300 flights, or nearly half of the planned flights, were canceled. These include regular Alitalia evening flights from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Sofia and vice versa.

Pope Francis's plane landed at the government's VIP airport at about ten minutes before 10 am, a little earlier than scheduled. On the Bulgarian soil the pope was welcomed by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. There is a four-eye meeting scheduled between them.

95 flights of the national Italian carrier were canceled due to a strike.

From 11.00 to 15.00 Bulgarian time, domestic and international flights of Alitalia were suspended.

A spokesman for the national carrier has assured that all passengers will be redirected within today.

MILAN (Reuters) - EasyJet (EZJ.L) is still keen on parts of Alitalia after an Italian minister said this week the government wants the majority of the carrier under state control, the chief executive of the British low cost airline told daily Corriere della Sera.

ATW - The European Commission (EC) has opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether Italy's €900 million ($1.1 billion) bridge loan to flag carrier Alitalia constituted state aid and whether it complied with European Union (EU) rules for aid to companies in difficulty.

EU anti-trust regulators on April 23 opened an in-depth probe to establish whether a massive rescue loan by the Italian government to troubled airline Alitalia constituted illegal state aid.

Alitalia moved a step closer to being sold to Lufthansa on April 16 after an Italian government minister called the German airline's bid the "most promising."