The Alitalia Group reported a net loss of 221m for the first six months of 2006, compared with a net loss of 125m for the same period in 2005.
The troubled airline's net revenues for the six months to June 2006 dropped by 36m (1.6%) to 2,239m compared with 2005.
But it reported that traffic revenues for the period rose to 2,043m, an increase of 55m (2.8%) on the 2005 figure with the number of passengers rising by 3.1% to 11.7 million, compared to the same period in 2005.
The Group cited increased fuel charges, up by 107m in the first half of the year, increased competition from low cost carriers and the "negative influence of strikes" in January for the net loss.
But the Group said a "tangible" recovery was still underway and forecast "positive" operating and net results for the second half of the year.
Eurostar unveils new UK station
Eurostar, the high speed train service between the UK and the continent, has unveiled its new station, Ebbsfleet International in Kent.
The train company said the new station was situated on the second section of the rail link now being completed between Gravesend and London St. Pancras.
It offered easier access to the train service to10m people living in southern England.
The new station will officially open when Eurostar moves to its new London terminal at St. Pancras in autumn, 2007.
Journey times from Ebbsfleet to Paris will be 2hrs 5 minutes, to Lille 1hr 10 minutes and to Brussels 1hr 41 minutes
Richard Brown, ceo of Eurostar, said: "Ebbsfleet International …will offer a real alternative to London's increasingly crowded airports with journey times to Paris and Brussels which are directly comparable to airport to airport flight times."
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