Terminal decline
Will anyone offer to buy Italy's ailing national airline?
THE stoicism of Italy's air travellers seems likely to be tested yet again on January 19th. The main trade unions at Alitalia, the national airline, have called on their members to strike that day. There was also a strike on January 19th last year, followed by more cancellations when employees ignored a ministerial injunction to remain at their posts. Labour unrest also left Alitalia's passengers grounded in the autumn. While the rest of Europe's airlines are thriving and even fighting back against budget-carrier competition, Alitalia (like Olympic in Greece) is stuck in a 1970s time-warp of losses, strikes and cancellations.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Terminal decline”
From the January 6th 2007 edition
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