Alitalia merger plans yet to be reviewed by antitrust body

Alitalia recently hinted that its merger plans with Blue Panorama Airlines SpA (BPA) and Wind Jet SpA are still awaiting antitrust review.

The process of finalizing a merger with Blue Panorama Airlines SpA (BPA) and Wind Jet SpA had been agreed by the board of directors of Alitalia Compagnia Aerea Italiana on January 25, 2012.

The airline said in a statement that it is aiming at offering improved Alitalia flights services to customers and also increase the flow of international tourist travel to and from Italy.

By seeking merger with BPA and Wind Jet, Alitalia wants to make the two companies as suitable targets considering their current market share, their fleets and the routes that these two carriers currently operate in Italy and abroad.

Based in Rome and Milan, BPA presently operates scheduled and non-scheduled flights under the Blue Panorama brand for intercontinental routes, and as Blue Express on domestic and EU routes. BPA owns a fleet of 12 Boeing aircraft, and carrier nearly 2 million passengers in 2011.

Wind Jet is based in Catania, Palermo and Rimini and provides scheduled and non-scheduled flights. It owns a fleet of 12 Airbus aircrafts. It carried more than 2.8 million passengers on domestic services and international routes to EU destinations and beyond in 2011.

Italy’s national flag carrier Alitalia is based in Rome, Milan, Venice, Turin, Catania and Bari. The airline carrier 25 million passengers in 2011, and has a fleet of 144 aircrafts.