Alitalia says will lease three Boeing B777 aircraft=20 =09 =09 Thursday October 10, 7:31 AM EDT=20 ROME, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Italian state-controlled airline Alitalia (AZPIa) said on Thursday it would lease three B777 aircraft from Boeing Co. (BA <http://money.excite.com/jsp/qt/full.jsp?time=3D0&symbol_search_text=3DBA= > ) to add to its long-haul fleet. The decision will be submitted to the airline's board for approval within the next few weeks, a company statement said. Alitalia said last month it had slashed its net loss by 80 percent in the first half of 2002 to 49 million euros from a year-earlier net loss of 260 million euros. The airline, which was struggling even before a severe decline in air travel following the September 11 U.S. attacks last year, has said it has benefited from a two-year crisis-busting plan that includes the sale of some of its non-core units.=20 =A92002 Reuters Limited.=20