Companies interested in buying struggling Italian carrier Alitalia will have four weeks to submit their detailed proposals.
The special commissioners appointed to look after the administration of the airline said earlier this month that there had been 32 “expressions of interest” about buying Alitalia as a whole or some of its assets – Easyjet has confirmed that it is one of these interested parties.
Alitalia went into administration in May after its workers rejected a restructuring plan put forward by management – the airline’s flights have continued to operate as normal since then.
The commissioners have today (June 26) sent “procedure letters” to all parties that have expressed an interest in Alitalia who will now have until July 21 to submit detailed proposals.
“The eligible parties will therefore have access to the data room with the necessary information in order to submit their non-binding proposals,” said Alitalia in a statement.
“On the basis of those proposals, the special commissioners will evaluate and define the programme of the extraordinary administration.”
The Italian government has so far ruled out any plan to renationalise Alitalia, which had debts of €3 billion as of February 28, 2017.
But the government has provided short-term funding of €600 million to allow the airline to continue operating until November.
Etihad Airways currently holds a 49 per cent shareholding in Alitalia – the Abu Dhabi-based airline has said that it is open to “potentially deepening” its ties with the Italian airline.