Alitalia, Montino: “Industrial plan? At Fiumicino we are worried because ..”

by time news

while I Ryan Air buys 225 aircraft and prepares to cover several Italian routes, at least 100, by training new pilots, a Fiumicino the Mayor Esterino Montino he chairs an extraordinary council in the name of concern.

“A industrial plan which cuts 50% of the company, expecting to reach 50 planes out of 120 – which means connections with the smaller islands at the most – is a way to go towards liquidation, if you don’t go there today, you go there tomorrow. And this brings the Alitalia problem back to the center of our municipal council, given that an induced amount of 20,000 people live on Fiumicino ”.

The fear that of Alitalia a stew is made and the total uncertainty about the government’s position regarding the maintenance of the national airline dominated the discussion, which lasted hours. The absence of institutional interlocutors, or the ministers of the departments concerned, is emblematic commissioner Giuseppe Leogrande, l’CEO of ITA Francesco Caio.

“Two days ago we heard about a redundancy plan of 6,000 people, a drastic reduction of the fleet and we are worried, we want to understand what the next steps will be. I see a gloomy picture, because the lack of institutional dialogue does not allow us to have clarity “.

Strong words, those pronounced by Montino.

“Our country must have a flag carrier, as the most important architectural, cultural and tourist destination in the world. It must have it in a strategic sense, as an element of restarting our economy. But it takes a serious business plan, made by people who do this job. If we only put in liquidators, bankruptcies and friends of friends we will not go anywhere. To be clear, there must be people who “smell of kerosene”.

The knot of Europe (but does it exist only for Alitalia?)

“I see the difference in treatment of our company compared to other European companies – continued Montino – When the Germans make 9 billion available to Lufthansa without a shot being fired, without anyone speaking, or Macron gives 7 billion to AirFrance and we receive 350 million for lost earnings compared to an emergency situation that has hit the whole globe and complaints arise I say to myself “a bit of demeanor”. I would have expected a reaction also of an institutional nature to say halt, stop a moment, let’s check it out ”.

“Europe made 108 industrial observations – highlights the Mayor of Fiumicino, who says he is worried about the redundancy plan and the absence of certain prospects on the relaunch not only of employment but of strategic Alitalia- The discontinuity has been objected in the European context, there has been talk of a public auction on the market, it was said that company symbols were no longer to be used. In 2020 the parliament had given indications on a direct passage between the two companies, making 3 billion available for ITA, after which nothing goes ahead because the drama of the relationship with Europe begins. Why do the others solve it within two weeks and here everything stops “? And here comes Montino’s salient doubt, expressed bluntly. “Because there are mental reservations. Different thoughts. Perhaps someone thinks it is better to liquidate it, to sell it as if it were minced meat ”.

What is the government’s position? Keep a flag carrier or discontinue it?

“We need to understand if the Draghi government decides to keep a flag carrier or adapt to the European position – he said the Honorable Stefano Fassina– Among other things, ITA, which is kept on stand-by, wastes a very precious time to deal with a tourist market that will soon recover. We need answers now, a determined attitude with the European Commission. It cannot be said that it is held to the national airline and at the same time obeying all the European prescriptions. Among other things, the Commission is not the revealed truth, it has been radically disavowed on an important dossier, such as the Tercas affair, with which the Banca Popolare di Bari brought it to the Court of Justice. The industrial plan that was presented to us is too general, too lacking, it does not say what happens, for example, to the cargo, which is an important piece. The problem must be clarified, which is not starting with 40 planes, but where you want to go Will they become 120 in a path that respects the dynamics of the market or not? Is the ODG that undertakes to maintain the operational unit of the set respected or not? Maintenance control is an important asset. These are answers that must also be given in a very close confrontation with the European Commission. In the next few days we will put all the pressure we can for the government to come to the hearing and give those answers. With what mandate do the technicians go to Buxelles to negotiate? Up to now we have not had these answers and we must have them ”.

No more cash on hand: the concern of the trade unions

“March 27 expires and, in the presence of two other commissioners, we do not know if salaries can be paid. The extraordinary administration is sinking, it has no more cash in hand, on the other hand we have ITA that is not ready to leave. So he expressed himself Fabrizio Cuscito, national secretary of Filt GCIL, who commented on the ITA plan. “For us it is missing in many points on the cargo theme, on the fleet, on maintenance, but above all on the employment front. We risk putting together a company that goes bankrupt again in six months ”. Having reached the fourth government dealing with the affair, for the unions the concern is that the bill for the failure will not be paid by the workers.

“I would like to say that with 3 billion no workers are fired, because until now no one has said it! Is the 3 billion for a financial operation or is it used in the interest of the country? This issue must be the center of attention and we want an answer. The absence of an interlocutor even today is a defeat, we have been asking for a control room for months. A table to discuss all together, which has not yet started. Alitalia interests at least four ministries, we want to be able to discuss with everyone. We need a review of the plan, an intervention on social safety nets, a refinancing of the extraordinary administration and a new industrial plan, because this will get us nowhere “. Other workers’ representatives, such as Ivan Viglietti of UIL transport, also said they were in favor of an industrial plan that would set up a company that is up to the market, competitive. The ITA industrial plan does not appear sufficient. Francesco Alfonsi of UGL air transport, he recalled Law 183 of December 2020, article 12, according to which “the government could advance those 75 million that we have been waiting for months to pay salaries. Of course, it is not enough, the extraordinary administration must be refinanced but we can begin to pay the workers with an advance of the refreshment required by law ”.

The accounts of Gaetano Intrieri: with 3 billion we make a company of 500 aircraft, not 50.

225 new aircraft and the Italian routes that Ryan Air is preparing

Eloquent, without the need for comments, the numbers expressed by Gaetano Intrieri.

According to regulation 1008 of the European Union, “with 3 billion you can make a company of 500 aircraft. It means that 40 or 50 planes can be had with 250 million ”.

Regarding past management, Intrieri said that “Alitalia has lost 43% more from 2017 to today than Ethiad has lost in the last 3 years. Alitalia cost € 2 billion and 340 million under extraordinary management and given the current situation we must deduce that it is one of the most wrong operations made by any government in republican history ”.

The maintenance: “There can be no company with 50 aircraft that does not produce maintenance internally. In reality, removing the maintenance configures an incomplete company, forced to receive maintenance on behalf of third parties. However, the latest public budget, which dates back to 2015, reveals that handling produced a profit of 61 million euros. Considering that in 2014 Fiumicino is contingent on this point, ie Alitalia is the only handler operating in Fiumicino, this is an area from which the company could benefit “.

Finally, a comment on what the other players are doing: “while I hear the minister of transport talking about a reduction, I would like to inform you that Southwest yesterday ordered 286 Boeing and Ryan Air 225, since the number of machines based in Italy will increase from June. So, unless whoever runs Ryan Air is insane, something doesn’t add up here ”.

A complaint to the Court of Auditors

Reached on the phone, Flavio Robert Paltrinieri he commented favorably on the words of the mayor Montino. “We will go all the way, we will also go to the Court of Auditors, challenging this madness, which is a tax damage. This beautiful initiative of the Municipality of Fiumicino lacked those directly involved on the institutional front, the ITA CEO, the representatives of Confindustria. People don’t understand that Alitalia is the country’s most important infrastructure. And of course, we will not stand idle here to see this announced suicide take place ”.

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