Air France domine le ciel européen
Le Figaro, 13-1-2009
Alitalia is French. Air France has 25% of the capital. It is the leading shareholder, the only one with competence in the sector, (and I’m accepting bets on this) the next majority shareholder. Berlusconi will have his “Legion d'Onore”. Panetta, CEO of Air France has saved a few billion euro compared to the offer made to Prodi and has 10,000 sacked employees fewer to cope with. And he has no competitor on the route Milan-Rome as there’s been the merging of Alitalia with Air One.
Who pays the bills? Les italiens cocus.
Air France prend Alitalia sous son aile. - from Le Figaro
This time it’s official … Air France-KLM has bought a stake in Alitalia... Air France-KLM will pay 323 million euro to become the top shareholder in Alitalia, with 25% of the capital and three Board members. Alongside are the main shareholders mobilised by Silvio Berlusconi... Thanks to this new stake, Air France-KLM is confirming its position as leader of the sky in terms of traffic.
Jean-Cyril Spinetta réussit son dernier grand coup à la tête de la compagnie. - from Le Figaro
…. the Alitalia Board made a statement for the first time in favour of the marriage with Air France-KLM in March. But the two partners could not conclude because of opposition from the Italian Trades Unions and above all, the opposition from Silvio Berlusconi, who at the time was in the midst of the election campaign. Once he got his seat as President of the Council, “il Cavaliere” did not fail to underline his preference for an Italian solution with Lufthansa as the foreign partner. ...
En service commandé pour Silvio Berlusconi - from Le Figaro
From today, CAI and Air France-KLM officially take command of Alitalia, and are liberating the Ministry of Finance from the obligation of being the reference shareholder.... For its 49.9% share, CAI will pay the State 1.052 billion euro. In fact only 390 million euro will be paid immediately and the rest will be paid within 24 months. Air France will pay 323 million euro for its 25% stake. With a right of pre-emption on the shares if anyone wants to pull out within the next four years... Letizia Moratti, mayor of Milan, considered it “unacceptable” to sell off Alitalia for so little to Air France, which only wants “to buy the Italian market, when Lufthansa had a long-range industrial project.”
Posted by Beppe Grillo at 08:29 PM in Transport/Getting About
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I flew out of Chas DeGaulle January 6 with a really bad impression of Air France Management.
Termnal 7e had 4 transatlantic flights all leaving 10:00-10:30 am, 1000-1200 passengers show up 2.5 hours early, there are no lines to be formed, there are 4 baggage check stations open out of the 13 available stations. 9 Empty baggage check stations.
They must have known that they had 4 flights scheduled for the same time that day, no?
They must have known they had 13 available baggage check stations, no?
We waited in line 2.5 hours, got to the baggage check lady who tells us that our flight was over booked. She was quite pleasant, charming really, put us on a different flight and the bag they lost was only lost for a week.
Is this the same management genius that is going to now run Alitalia?
I would avoid flying Air France if I get a choice next time.
P.
Posted by: Peter Smith | February 10, 2009 12:12 AM
I flew out of Chas DeGaulle January 6 with a really bad impression of Air France Management.
Termnal 7e had 4 transatlantic flights all leaving 10:00-10:30 am, 1000-1200 passengers show up 2.5 hours early, there are no lines to be formed, there are 4 baggage check stations open out of the 13 available stations. 9 Empty baggage check stations.
They must have known that they had 4 flights scheduled for the same time that day, no?
They must have known they had 13 available baggage check stations, no?
We waited in line 2.5 hours, got to the baggage check lady who tells us that our flight was over booked. She was quite pleasant, charming really, put us on a different flight and the bag they lost was only lost for a week.
Is this the same management genius that is going to now run Alitalia?
I would avoid flying Air France if I get a choice next time.
P.
Posted by: Peter Smith | February 10, 2009 12:12 AM
Vive notre nouveau president des E-U, Barack Obama!
Souhaitons-nous la plus grande reussite de son presidence!
Les Americains ne sont pas les idiots, on est le premier pays, (et un pays tres jeune par rapport aux autres) d'avoir elu un Africain-Americain, un noir , pour etre president!
C'est a vous, les Europeens, de nous suivre!! Bon courage nos amis!
Posted by: Murphy, Dawn ( Aurore) | January 20, 2009 02:33 PM
Al italia is not anymore a concurent. Respect to Air France.
Posted by: vardenis pavardenis | January 14, 2009 09:12 PM
This takeover seems just desert for the completely inefficient and corrupt Alitalia. In the grand scheeme this airline should have closed down years ago. Now that Air France/KLM have taken over and fired a whole bunch of dead wood hopefully they have put an end to the various Italian politicians who had their fingure in the state subsidized pie.
For many Italian politicians it is the end of one of the endless feeding frenzies.
As our other friend pointed out if the Germans could take over the entire running of the Italian gavernment we could see a turn around of Italian fortunes.
Posted by: Maurizio Odello | January 14, 2009 10:53 AM
If KLM-AirFrance can manage to gradually squeeze out the rotten Italian interests then this *may* just succeed.
Now, if we could get a German-Swiss-Austrian group to take a major interest in the management of government in Italy, then the tax payers might start getting a bit of value for their money.
Posted by: Rolly Wheeler | January 14, 2009 02:46 AM
read FT colum that write:
finally the inglorious alitalia imbroglio has reached its end......
lex column FT 13th jan 2009 they did not use too much english diplomacy in there
Posted by: roberto protei | January 13, 2009 10:02 PM
Thank God Alitalia is gone to the French. Anything is better than when it was 100% Italian. It was the mark of inefficiency and lost luggage. Only 10,000 fired hardly enough.
It's good riddance to bad rubbish!
Posted by: David B. Monier-Williams | January 13, 2009 09:15 PM