--=======5EC47D79======= Content-Type: text/plain; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-5F445EC1; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Hi to all, a further updating on italian civil scene: BRITISH MIDLAND todays has inaugurated a weekly charter service until Aug. 31st. from Bologna to Edinburgh with EMB145. EU JET has based a F100 EI-DBR in Bergamo. MERIDIANA, today "IL SOLE 24 ORE" the major financial newspaper here in Italy reports that Alitalia is very close for an agreement to purchase the 80% of the stake in the hands of His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, founder of the airline. In the past the italian flag airline has start a talks to acquire a 20% of the shares, now Francesco Mengozzi CEO of Alitalia is very close to purchase the majority of the stake in the italian first oldest private airline. At this time is reported only a technical agreement between the advisors. The final verification with the shareholders lacks only, in particular with the Aga Khan, in order to ratify the understanding that could make to enter the Sardinian company in the orbit of the public airline. The operation comes pursued from Alitalia in order to strengthen its quote on the domestic market, come down in recent months to the 55 %. The company of the Aga Khan would carry in dowry a market share of 16% and would approach therefore the public carrier the quotes stopped on respects home markets to you from Air France and Lufthansa. Naturally the understanding would have to be ratified from the authority antitrust, than in the past months similar concentration has expressed some doubt on the possibility to authorize one. Now but the reflectors are tip to you on the final phase of negotiate. Francesco Mengozzi, general executive manager of the public carrier that is in a delicate phase is crossing is in the labor relations for the difficulties in the accounts, has continued the negotiations with Meridiana also after the expiration of past May 31st. for negotiates in exclusive right. And now is ready to dealing with the prince of the Ismailite ones, owner of 80% in Meridiana, the price for the purchase of its quote. The distance between vendor and buyer has been approached in the last weeks. Now appraisal of the entire little inferior Company to 150 million euro is discussed on one. Based on such parameter 80% of the Company that Alitalia wants to acquire would cost an inferior sum to 120 million euro.To equipment of this it negotiate is an understanding for an alliance trades them and of tails sharing, through which the carrier of Olbia would integrate the net of Alitalia in the domestic flights and also with its international connections. With approximately 170 planes, Alitalia has transported on past year 22,2 million passengers, of which beyond the half in the internal flights. Meridiana it represents the third force to the national market, with 3,3 million total passengers carried in 2002, comprised the international routes, with 21 airplane. Its turnover in 2002 is around to 370 million euro and the result is in light assets, with a clearly inferior profit to the million euro. The course of this company, that it has always followed in working contracts and the strategies the movements of the Alitalia, without never to make them a true competition, has been thrown again from Giovanni Sebastiani, former the managing one of Alitalia that had launch the Air One and that, from two years, him is the guide of the airline of Olbia. The former Alisarda crosses a good moment, also for the positive situation financial situation, in how much does not have debits with banks. However, between its engagements there is that one of I renew of the fleet. In the slid months the Alitalia had dealt to along with Volare Group, in order to define an alliance in the domestic market. The negotiation, strongly fighted from the trade unions of the pilots (Anpac) because the low cost of the job in Volare, finally is been shipwrecked because - second the Alitalia - the Volare's main shareholder , Gino Zoccai, had asked a sum excessive (60 million euro) in order yielding of a quote of 20% of the public Company. If there will be the agreement between Mengozzi and the Aga Khan on all the operation, the general executive manager of the Alitalia could report on the new alliance and acquisition to the board of directors summoned Alitalia for the July 15th.. SWISS AIR LINES will drop with effect October 26th. 2003 will drop the routes from Zurich to Bologna/Florence/Venice and Milan-Basel to cover the losses registered in the past year and in the first third of this year. Perhaps, agreement with further partner airline could enable to resume the flights. WINDJET A320's now in service are I-LINB and I-LINP. That's all for today, Marco --=======5EC47D79======= Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-avg=cert; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-5F445EC1 Content-Disposition: inline --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.497 / Virus Database: 296 - Release Date: 04/07/2003 --=======5EC47D79=======--